Pokemon: Nuzlocke
by Klldarkness
Summary: An average guy, living an average life, dies. He soon discovers that life is a Video Game, and he's playing in the Beta! Follow along as he joins a world filled with super-powered creatures, a rule set he can't understand, and questions that may never be answered. Can he cope with the consequences of his choices?(Pokemon, Gamer Mechanics, OC, AU.)
1. Chapter 1

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

 _A/N 2: Please read this warning! This story will not use the same game mechanics as my other story. The main character here is not Kll from Dragonball: RPG Rebirth, this story isn't connected in any way other than it's a **Life RPG** game._

* * *

Chapter 1: The fuck's a Nuzlocke?

* * *

The crowd around me cheers, screaming my name, chanting for my victory. My opponent, a boy I almost recognize, paces back and forth in his box. He reaches down to his waist, grabbing one of the small Pokeballs hanging there, plucking one that expands to full size. My eyes narrow as I reach down, snapping one from my own belt. We reach back, throwing our Pokeballs into the arena at the same time, as the lights brighten around us. The crowd roars, as a massive shadowy creature explodes out of his Pokeball, landing in the center.

"Go Needle!" I yell, pointing into the ring.

' _Wait...Needle? No...no, not Needle!"_

Needle the Weedle quickly scurries out further into the ring, arching back to look at the hulking monstrosity that was the shadow monster. The large mass of shadows lifts it's giant leg, clearly intending to stomp down onto my Weedle. As the leg falls, my eyes snap shut so I don't have to see my friend die...

"N-Needle! Needle!" I mumble.

"Billy...Billy wake up!" I hear off to my side.

My eyes snap open, as I jerk up into a sitting position. My heart is pounding as I gasp for breath, sweat pouring down my brow.

"Are you okay Billy?" I hear beside me.

"Yeah, sorry…" I reply, not daring to look over at Jessica.

"Bad dreams again?" She asks.

"Yeah…" I whisper.

"I'm sorry, Billy." She replies, rolling back over.

I shrug, laying back down in my sleeping bag. The dark forest around us fills with a slight breeze, the air chilled by the night. I frown, trying not to think about what had happened. Of course, it'd be the only thing I can think about...

* * *

I was 28, working a slow job in the accounting department of a real estate developer. Not my favorite job, but the money was fantastic. The weekend was coming up, yet I was laying in bed restless, worried about spreadsheets. Spreadsheets! I finally managed to fall asleep, after tossing and turning for another hour, quickly drifting into what I felt was a dream. I had lucid dreams in the past, so being aware of an infinite black void wasn't a new thing to me. I willed myself to move around, or appear elsewhere, but nothing seemed to work.

Right as I was beginning to think I needed to try to wake up, everything flashed bright white several times. Everything faded out, until I found myself at what could only be described as a title screen.

 **Life RPG: Beta**

 **New Game+**

 **Options**

 **Credits**

"Fuck."

* * *

After going through all the options, it was pretty obvious to me that I had died. Probably all the shit food I ate while working late nights at the office. Though, doctors now say sitting while working is the new 'cholesterol'. Either way, I had died, and life was a massive video game that was in Beta. Having finished a playthrough, I now had the options for a **New Game+** , which let me select a massive amount of options and universes, some of which I didn't even recognize.

World Selection:

 **Standard** :

Live out an everyday life in a normal world! Be the person you want to be!

 **Fictional** : ( _Now Available!_ )

Choose from one of many different fictional worlds to be a part of! Play through that worlds canon storyline, or even make your own!

 **Custom** : ( _Not Available in Beta_ )

Choose from many different customizations to make a brand new world to play in!

 **God Mode** : ( _Not Available in Beta_ )

Play as God in any of the previous worlds!

I ignored the ones for Harry Potter, Naruto, Dragonball, and countless others. Reaching out, I tap on the title card for **Pokemon: Nuzlocke** , and after answering that I was sure, the menu changed before my eyes. As a Beta tester, I received a bunch of points that I could put into my 'Character' and get access to special options. Most seemed particularly useless, but I did sink all of my points into **Game Player** , and **Advanced Start**. I mean really, who would want to play AS a Pokemon?

 **Game Player**

 _For you, life is a game! While within the world of Pokemon, see everything around you as a game. See Stats, Exp, rare items, and much much more! Level alongside your Pokemon, and learn new skills as they do!_

 **Advanced Start**

 _Choose from a multitude of options prior to the beginning of play._

After finalizing my selection, a bunch of options popped up for me to choose from. Things like background, family life, location, and options to make starting out easier. There was a limit to what I could choose, based on a points system. Keeping under the limit, I chose to have a good family, a nice starting cash bonus, selecting all Pokemon generations, and electing to start out in Kanto. Another reply that I was sure about my choices and everything fades away, leaving me in deep, deep black.

I'll be the first to admit I didn't know much about Pokemon. I played some of the games as a kid, but when they started getting revamped, and overly complicated, I moved on to other games. I'd touched back on them now and then, dabbled a bit in the Pixelmon Mod for Minecraft. I was never an expert, I wouldn't even say I was all that good at it. Yet when I died and found out that life was a video game, of course, I selected the option to restart life in the Pokemon world.

Let's be honest here; Who in their right mind would choose Naruto? People die constantly there! Pokemon, though...It's a children's game! A fantastical world filled with mystic creatures that could be your best friends. A fresh start, a new adventure! A place that working hard, training hard, and giving it your all could make you the best. I didn't know what I was getting myself in to...

I'd really regret not knowing what a Nuzlocke is.

* * *

My eyes snap open to the sound of a Pidgey alarm going off on my side table. I roll out of the small bed, landing hard on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Holy shit...it's real," I whisper, looking down at my small hands.

"Billy! It's time to get up! You need to leave in an hour if you want to make it to the Pokemon Center in time!" I hear a female voice call, from down the hall.

I stumble to my feet, my smaller body a little off-putting. I carefully make my way out of the bedroom, still in my pajamas, and work my way down the hall. Going through an open doorway, I find myself in the kitchen, staring at the back of my mom. She must have heard me coming as she turns around, frying pan in hand.

"Sit and eat, Billy! You need to shower before you go, and you're on a time crunch as it is!" She orders, quickly shoveling fried eggs on to the plate at one of the seats at the table. I move over and sit down, quickly eating the hot food. I look around, studying the new world around me.

"Are you okay? You're normally talking a mile a minute. Are you sick?" She asks, walking over to feel my forehead.

"What? No!" I squeak out, "I mean, no, I'm fine. Just nervous I guess?"

"Oh, honey...It'll be okay! Everyone feels nervous on the day they start their Pokemon Journey. Just do your best, and you'll do great!" She crows, as she sits down to eat as well.

We talk about a few small things, as I finish eating, and then make my way back towards the bedroom. I grab a set of what seems like normal clothes, and head to the bathroom. A quick shower, and I'm dressed, standing in the living room.

"Here's your backpack, and C-Gear!" My mom says as she passes everything to me. "I've packed everything I think you'll need to start out. If you find yourself needing anything, I deposited an extra $4000 in your Pokebank. Don't hesitate to stop by a Pokemart if you need anything, or even trade with other Trainers, alright?"

I nod along with everything she says, before she grabs me in a hug, telling me she loves me and then rushing me out the door. As I pass through the front door, the world slows to a halt around me, greying out.

 _Welcome to the world of Pokemon: Nuzlocke!_

 _We thank you for your participation, and we hope that you enjoy your time here._

 _Be sure to check the options menu to adjust the world around you, look for hints and tips, and keep your eyes open for opportunities!_

The world snaps back into focus, and I stumble slightly as it paused while I was midstep. With a thought, the floating alert fades away. I nod in satisfaction, taking in the world around me for the first time. A large city spreads out around me, the noise almost reminding me of home.

' _Where am I?_ ' I wonder, looking around.

After walking around for a bit, I start to panic that I won't find the Pokemon Center.

"Shit...should I ask someone?" I think out loud, looking around for someone that looks approachable.

I see a younger kid walking a bit down the street, so I start heading in his direction to ask for directions. As I start to finally catch up, my backpack starts to bing and vibrate.

"What?" I say, as I stop and pull it off.

I open the pouch that seems to be making the noise, and pull out what my mom called a 'C-Gear'. It looks like a mix between a watch, and a phone, so I tap it. A panel on the side slides out, showing my own face, while the main screen lights up and my mom appears.

"Billy, did you make it to the center yet?" She asks.

"Uh, almost there!" I reply, looking around frantically.

"You'd better hurry! Call me when you've chosen your first Pokemon!" She replies, before ending the call.

I tap around the different options in the C-Gear, before finally finding a map.

"Oh, I'm in Celadon!" I exclaimed, getting weird looks from several people passing by.

I flick through a few options before it builds me a path to the Pokecenter, much like Google Maps would. I take off at a sprint, hoping I can make it in time.

* * *

I walked swiftly through the doors of the Pokemon Center and found myself at the back of a small crowd. Most of them were kids around my age, so I assumed they were here to get their Pokemon as well. As the time on my C-Gear finally clicked over to 9 am, a speaker somewhere came on.

"All new Trainers here for orientation, please proceed to meeting room A!" A voice announced.

I follow the small crowd that was being ushered along by two Nurse Joys and was quickly led into a large auditorium of sorts. I find a seat near the back and sit down, dropping my backpack to the floor in front of me. I take the time to look around the room while I wait for everyone else to file in. It didn't take too long, and once everyone was seated a middle-aged guy walked swiftly on to the stage.

"Hello, Trainers!" He called out, his loud voice easily heard across the room. "I am Professor Olive, and I work at the Oak Research Facility. As you all know, you're here today to get your first Pokemon, and prepare for your own Pokemon Journey!"

The kids all murmur excitedly, barely able to sit still as he continues.

"Today is a special day for you, and I really can't wait to get you all started." He says as the screen on the wall behind him lights up. "We have 14 different Pokemon for you to choose from today. All have been bred at our research facility, and each one is just a few days old. Don't worry though! Each may be young, but they are still quite strong. With some training, you'll be fighting in the gym circuit before you know it!"

As the screen behind him fills with different pokemon, he continues. "In just a moment, for those that have a C-Gear, you'll receive a list of those Pokemon to choose from. If you do not have a C-Gear, never fear! My assistant will be coming by shortly to pass out Poketch. They are an older generation, but we don't want anyone getting lost out in the wilds. Please consider them a gift to begin your journey!"

' _That's actually pretty cool of them._ ' I think, as two assistants pass them out.

My C-Gear lights up, showing a short list of Pokemon to choose from. Quite a few of them I don't recognize or remember at all. I consider getting the Pichu, but I think taking a baby Pokemon would be a bad start. After flipping through each Pokemon, I start to realize that each one has two further evolutions, which follows the normal start Pokemon trend.

' _Hmm...Do I want a flying type? It'll eventually be big enough that I can fly around on it…_ ' I think, going back over the choices. ' _I doubt HM Fly would be a requirement._ '

After thinking it over for a bit more, trying my best to remember everything I can about Pokemon that can be found within Kanto, I choose my Pokemon, click accept, and look back up at the front stage. After a few minutes, it seems that everyone has chosen their Pokemon, as the Professor makes his way back on stage.

"It looks like everyone has finished choosing! When your name is called, please meet my assistant by the side door. They will have your Pokemon and will show you how to register them. Thank you again for joining us today, and good luck!" Professor Olive says, before making his way off stage.

I pull my backpack off the floor in front of me where I had set it down and start going through the contents. My mom had packed me three sets of clothes, a rather nice sleeping bag, a foldable shovel, two boxes of matches, and several other small nick nacks. There are also 10 Pokeballs and a Pokeball belt. I slip the belt on, placing five shrunken Pokeballs in their notches while I wait. I hear my name finally called, so I quickly start shoving everything I pulled out back into my bag.

"One second, sorry!" I call back, forcing everything back into place, and closing the backpack.

I jump up and quickly make my way over to the side door where the assistant is waiting.

"Hi, sorry about that!" I tell her, once I'm close.

"No worries!" She says, smiling warmly. "Here is your chosen Pokemon."

As soon as she sets the tiny Pokeball in my hand, the world once again freezes around me.

 **Hint!**

 _You're playing a Modified Nuzlocke, which requires you to name any and all Pokemon you catch, trade for, or receive. The only exemptions are Pokemon caught for other people, Pokemon bred for sale/trade, and Pokemon that are temporarily a part of your team._

' _The fucks a Nuzlocke?_ ' I think, reading the prompt over again.

I shrug before swiping the prompt away with a thought, time snapping back into motion again. She shows me how placing the shrunken Pokeball against the C-Gear for a moment registers it's ownership to me and explains a few smaller details. I thank the assistant, before quickly making my way out of the room, and out of the Pokemon Center. As real as this has all seemed to me so far, I can't pretend my heart wasn't pounding in my chest. My stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies, as I turned a corner, spotting a small park I had seen on my mad dash to the Center. I jog over to it, the small Pokeball still clutched in my hand. As I hit the grass, I press the small button on the front expecting it to expand. Instead, a small prompt pops out.

 **WARNING!**

 _This Pokeball contains an unnamed Pokemon, and thus can't be sent out! Please name your Pokemon before trying to send them out!_

Frowning, I pull open my C-Gear, which contains the information for the registered Pokemon. Tapping on it, I quickly find the section to name it. I frown again, trying to think of a name that would fit, before shrugging and going with my first thought. After clicking accept, I again hit the small button on the Pokeball, which expands in my hand.

I reach back, tossing the Pokeball about eight feet in front of me, where it pops open in mid-air, a red energy leaping out. "Go, Odin!"

The red mass of energy forms quickly into a tiny creature, no more than a foot tall and about 15 to 20 pounds. As he forms, his small feet landing softly in the grass, my heart which was already pounding reaches a fever pitch.

"It's real...I'm a Pokemon Trainer," I whisper, staring down at Odin.

" _Nidoran?"_ He asks, staring back up at me.

* * *

The moment I looked down at my Nidoran, it immediately became evident what **Game Player** did for me. Floating above his head was his name, his level, and his current 'HP'. The HP bar looked a bit different from what I remembered as a child playing Pokemon. Instead of one long bar, green in later generations, it's broken up into two different section. About 10% of it is red, while the last 90% is green. I reach out, and poke my finger through the floating bar, confirming that it's intangible.

' _Interesting. This must be what it was talking about when it said I'd be able to see stats. It did also say I'd be able to level alongside my Pokemon and gain new abilities as I go. I wonder how that works._ ' I think, as I absentmindedly pet Odin.

" _Nidoran?_ " He says again.

"Oh, right! Sorry, little guy. My name is Billy, and I'm your new Trainer." I tell him, sitting down in the grass.

He cocks his head at me. " _Nido Ni Nidoran!_ "

"Yeah...I didn't quite understand that. Anyway, buddy, I've decided to name you Odin. It's a cool name, right?" I ask.

He nods his head, before shaking his entire body much like a dog would.

"Alright, cool. I'm going to return you for now. I've got to call my mom, and then we can figure out where to go from here."

" _Nidoran!_ He says as I hit the button on the Pokeball.

A bright beam of red light comes out, snatching Odin, before drawing him back in. I pull up my C-Gear, and after tapping away for a bit, manage to get the phone function up. Another bit of searching and I find the contacts, and it's ringing up my mom.

"Billy! How did it go?" She asks, excitedly.

"It went well, mom. I got a Nidoran." I tell her, as I take the chance to look around the park.

It's not super large, as far as parks go. It takes up maybe a third of a city block, mostly trees, and grass. There is a man-made a lake with a small fountain though. There are a few different groups of people hanging out, like a family having a picnic, and someone letting their Goldeen swim in the lake.

' _I'll need to do some studying. It's been a decade since I've played through an entire game of Pokemon. I think I heard there are over 700 of them now. I can name maybe 200 of those…_ ' I think, as my mom rambles on in the background.

"Make sure you call me at least once a week! If you need any help or advice, let me know. I didn't make it extremely far into the gym circuit when I was your age, but four badges are still quite respectable," She says as I snap back to attention. "Also, if you find yourself in danger, don't hesitate to call the Rangers. That's what they are there for."

"Of course, thanks, Mom. I'm going to go now, though. Gotta get started, and all that." I reply, looking down at her smiling face.

"I'm proud of you Billy! You can do this! I love you, and have fun!" She says, brimming with energy and happiness.

"Thanks, Mom, I love you too," I tell her, and then hang up.

' _That was weird. She's my mom, but I don't know her. Faking it feels...wrong._ ' I think, looking at the blank screen.

I pull up the map and take a deeper look into it. It seems that if I'm within a city, I can use it much like I used GPS in my old life. However, if I wandered into the woods, it would give me my location, but there didn't seem to be any pathing features. Good to know that getting lost is a real possibility. Closing the map, I take the time to look through the rest of the C-Gear, and see what all it's capable of. Besides the map, and the phone, it also has basic access to the internet, email, and a way to track what items I'm carrying.

Apparently, even the backpack I'm wearing is a smart device, as everything I place inside it is identified, and cataloged in the C-Gear. Using the internet, I do some searches online to answer the most pressing question.

' _Will I need to travel to Pewter City to face the first gym?_ ' Turns out not! Apparently, the gyms here can be done in any order, and that the leader adjusts their team accordingly.

It was fantastic to read that, actually. From the looks of things, Pewter City is a four-week trek through the woods, or nearly two months if I take the slow routes. I'd be way overleveled by then, I'm sure. It's also good to know because I'm in Celedon. The Grass gym. Grass is weak to poison, and bug types. With a large expanse of forest nearby, I'm almost certain to be able to find a bug type. With enough battling, I can Level Odin up until he learns **Poison Sting**. I think those two should be able to manage the low-level grass team.

Pulling up my map, I set a path to a building right near the edge of the city. It's near Route 16, so I should be able to find what I need pretty easily. Celedon is much larger here than it was in the games. I guess the Anime was closer to what it really looks like. Thankfully it only takes me half an hour to make it to the cities edge. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and head into the forest…

* * *

" **Peck** Odin!" I yell, pointing at the Lvl 3 Rattata.

Odin runs forward, jabbing his little horn into the side of the Rattata, launching it away. We'd been at this for quite a while, already leveling once, so I knew that it wouldn't be much more experience needed to level up to 7.

"Again Odin!" I yell as the Rattata starts to get back up.

As the attack hits, the bar above the Rattatas head drops the final bit into the red part, as it rolls end over end before landing in a crumpled heap.

 **Battle Over!**

 _Billy Lvl 2 +6 exp (1021 till level 3)_

 _Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 6 + 22 exp_

 _Level up! Odin is now Lvl 7 and needs 75 exp to level up again._

 _Odin has learned ' **Focus Energy** '!_

Each battle we won gave Odin, and myself, experience points. I didn't have a stat sheet of any sort that I could figure out, nor did I get anything for leveling up that I could see. I assumed that much like a Pokemon, I would gain abilities on random levels, not gain something on each new level. We continued like this for a while, battling different Pokemon as we walked through the forest a bit. I didn't want to go too deep, as I had spotted a Lvl 14 Spearow further in at one point. It seemed that close to the city edge was weaker Pokemon, and my chances of finding something much higher level increased as I went further out.

None of the Pokemon I had found so far had seemed aggressive, but a scar I used to have on my hand taught me as a kid that even the happiest animal can bite. I was being cautious; careful even. The original show taught me that Spearow was not to be fucked with. Of course, after seeing something in the distance shoot literal fire, I'd decided that maybe taking things a bit easy would be a good idea. Odin was making short work of all these Rattata, and would definitely be close to leveling up again soon.

The day had flown by, and the sun was going to be setting soon. I wasn't all that far from my own house, but I also knew that I'd be sleeping outdoors a lot soon, so I might as well get used to it. I set about clearing a little area under some bushes for a place to sleep. It takes me about twenty or so minutes to drag out the branches and dead leaves, but I manage in the end. Odin figured out what I was doing pretty quickly, and started helping. I was quite thankful as this ten-year-old body wasn't used to manual labor. After setting out my sleeping bag, I lay down on top of it and just relax for a bit.

Odin crawls over next to me and plops down. Not quite laying next to me, but close enough to imply we're in this together. It was pretty cute, actually. I peek at his HP bar and note that he's only about 15% down.

' _I'll need to take him to the Center tomorrow, most likely._ ' I think, looking him over.

There are a few slight scratches, and a bite mark, but nothing that looks too bad, or all that dangerous. I start telling Odin more about me and explaining to him that I'm from another Universe. It's the easiest way to explain what happened, without claiming that life is a game, and I'm the main character. He nods as I explain, and tell him about my old life. I don't think he understood everything I was saying, but he was a good listener regardless. For a while I just talk, as the sun starts to set. I pause and look over to find that Odin has fallen asleep, snoring very lightly.

I look out and can see all the Pokemon moving around in the night. Their info bars glow brightly in the night, but I can't see the glow when I close my eyes so it's not a big deal. It also doesn't seem to affect my night vision either, so I'd say it's entirely useful. As I watch the area around me for a while, I notice that some of the Pokemon info bars disappear, reappear, or even flicker at times.

' _That's odd...I wonder why...Oh! There is a limit, duh. I can't see all the Pokemon in the world, so there must be a distance limit. It seems to be about twenty feet._ ' I realize while watching the little bars pop in and out of existence.

I roll over and prepare to fall asleep when I see something in the distance that makes my tiredness vanish immediately.

 **Weedle**

 **Lvl 5 20/20 HP**

I reach out, poking Odin twice in the side. As he moves slightly showing that he's awake, I turn my head slightly.

"Let's go get us a new friend, Odin," I whisper.

* * *

So, I'm an idiot. Of course certain Pokemon only come out at night! I'd played Gold, and Crystal, which were the first Pokemon games to have day-night cycles. Yet, I spent all day searching for a bug Pokemon, which was way more likely to show up at night. I assume they sleep during the daytime, yet I never saw an info bar for one up in a tree. Not sure how that works, really. Either way, I find myself sneaking through the underbrush to get closer to the Weedle. They can climb trees easily, and Odin sadly can't. As I actually need a bug to fight the grass gym, I can't let this chance get away. Scaring it, and having it run up a tree would ruin this chance.

As we get to about eight feet away, I can see the Weedle in the darkness munching away at some leaves. I look around to make sure there isn't a Beedrill nest nearby or anything like that, and after making sure there isn't, I look down to Odin.

" **Focus Energy** , Odin," I whisper. "Then go for the **Peck**."

Odin nods, before huffing twice. He pauses, focusing on the Weedle, then rushes forward, horn first. His little feet carry him towards Weedle quite fast, before he leaps in the air. He slams into Weedle, knocking it away from the leaves it was eating. I flinch seeing how hard Odin hit but relax when I see that it only did about 3/4ths of Weedles HP. Weedle rolls, and hops back on to his padded feet, before launching himself at Odin needle first.

"Dodge Odin!" I yell, but it's a moment too late.

 **Poison Point Activate**

As Weedle slams into Odin, landing a **Poison Sting** , Odin's ability activates as well. Both of their HP bars turn a sickly purple and drop a tiny smidge.

' _Shit! They poisoned each other!_ ' I think, grabbing a shrunken Pokeball from my belt.

As Odin gets back to his feet after that hard hit, he sways a bit, showing how sickly he feels. I hit the button, throwing the Pokeball I grabbed at Weedle, returning Odin the moment Weedle gets sucked in. The Pokeball shakes and bounces for a bit before the button turns back to white.

 **Bing!**

 **You caught a Weedle!**

 **Due to the Nuzlocke rules, you may not catch any more Pokemon in this area until you've collected the local badge.**

 ** _+300 exp (721 exp points till level 3)_**

I blink, reading the pop up once more. I frown, looking down at both Pokeballs in my hands.

"Okay seriously...The fuck's a Nuzlocke?"

* * *

A/N: And we are back!...wait, no. Here we go again! A new world, a new character, and a whole new set of dangers! For my readers from Dragonball: RPG, welcome! For any new readers, welcome as well! Feel free to check out my other story, if you're into that sort of thing. This story will move much slower than D:RPGR. Not only because there aren't 'enemies' per say, but because Pokemon is a grinding game, to begin with. So sit back, relax, and let's see what kind of mischief we can get in to. I do ask that you don't leave reviews on this story asking when the next chapter will be posted for Dragonball: RPG. Other than that, feel free to share your opinion on this chapter, the characters, and everything in between.

Next Chapter: Billy heads to the Pokemon Center to heal Odin and his new Weedle. Dark events are on the horizon, and Billy still has much to learn about the world he's found himself in. Will he ever learn what a Nuzlocke is? Let's find out...

Until next time, this has been Klldarkness...and Welcome! To Pokemon: Nuzlocke.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

* * *

Chapter 2: A lesson in loss...

* * *

 **Forests around Celadon City**

My eyes pop open to the sound of birds singing in the early light of sunrise. I blink several times as everything comes back to me. I sit up suddenly, rolling out of my sleeping bag, reaching down to my belt to feel the six Pokeballs resting there.

"It was all real…" I whisper, my eyes widening in surprise.

There were plenty of times as a kid, watching the anime, playing the games, that I dreamt about living in the Pokemon world. Here, now, it's actually come true. A literal dream come true…

' _I need to get back to town to heal Odin and the Weedle I caught._ ' I think, as I start packing my sleeping bag away.

Last night was a weird situation. Right after I caught the Weedle, I got another alert about something called a Nuzlocke. I racked my brain as I tried to fall asleep about what that was, but nothing was coming to me. I felt like I'd maybe heard it at some point, but it was most likely years ago. Either way, a Nuzlocke seemed to be a set of rules that affected the world I now found myself in. I'd need to figure out the rules and find a way to work with them. Otherwise, I may find myself in a bad situation.

I finish shoving my bag into my backpack and crawl out of the little shelter I'd built. I take a look around, spotting a few different Pokemon rummaging around in the brush around me. I may not be able to catch anything in this area now, but I can definitely come back to train. I pull up the map on the C-Gear and start moving east towards the city. I notice that the forest area above Route 16, slightly west of Celadon, is flashing red on the map. Frowning, I tap the area hoping it'll tell me more. I flinch as a pop up jumps off the screen to float in front of me.

 **This area is locked for captures! Please collect the local badge to unlock!**

 _'Ah. It's literally just the area I caught the Weedle in, not the entirety of Celadon City._ ' I think, swiping the popup away.

From the looks of it, it seems that the area around Celadon is made up of six distinct areas. Route 16, and the forests north and south of said route. On the east side is Route 8, the forests north and south of that route as well. Along the outskirts of the city is more forest, but each is a part of one of those forests. It seems that whatever this Nuzlocke is, it isn't quite so restricting as I'd feared last night. If I went further out, south, or even went east, I'd be free to catch more Pokemon as needed. I assumed that would lock those areas as well, though.

Especially looking at Route 8. It's between two different cities, both with gyms. If I lock it down with a catch, will I need both badges to unlock it? Better to be careful, and plan ahead. The last thing I want to do is end up in a situation where I can't handle myself.

' _The world may be based on a children's show, but it is still filled with "monsters"_ ,' I think, as I make my way through the small forest.

 **EVENT NOTICE!**

 _An over-leveled Pokemon has gone wild in this area! Be on the lookout for aggressive Pokemon!_

I nearly jump from my skin at the sudden alert and pop up. I immediately drop down behind a tree and start looking around for any sight of a Pokemon higher leveled than the average for this area.

' _The fuck is this!_ ' I think, as I frantically peer around. ' _This game keeps throwing curveballs at me, seemingly changing on a whim. What is an event notice?_ '

 **Bing!**

 _An event notice is a notice that a local event is occurring._

I pause, looking at the new pop up. I'm extra confused because I've asked plenty of questions about the game so far, and never received an answer.

' _What's a local event?_ ' I ask, the pop up almost immediately replaced with a new one.

 **Bing!**

 _A local event is a randomized event that occurs locally._

I could see immediately that while receiving some answers, it wasn't going to give them to me easily.

' _Damn, fine! What's a fucking Nuzlocke!_ ' I think furiously.

The lack of a pop up is the loudest silence I've ever seen. Somehow that sentence makes sense in context. I shake my head, before carefully moving around the tree where I had been waiting. I move from tree to tree and am getting really close to where I need to get to be out of the forest. Once I'm in the city I should be pretty safe from whatever event is happening. As I'm no more than twenty feet from the edge of the forest, I'm suddenly bowled over by a heavy red blur. I slam hard to the ground, rolling twice, before I stop, resting against a tree.

"Fuck…" I say, pushing myself to my hands and knees.

I look around, trying to see what hit me when I spot what might as well be my worst nightmare.

 **Spearow**

 **Lvl 13 36/36 HP**

A larger than average Spearow is watching me with beady eyes from a branch just a few feet above me. I start crawling away slowly, watching it as I get about eight feet away. I stand up, keeping my eyes on it the entire time. I glance towards my right making sure I haven't been turned around and can see that I'm still roughly in the right direction to get out of the forest. As soon as my eyes move back to the Spearow, it's a little red blur flying at my face.

' _Fuck!_ ' I think as I throw myself to the left at the last second, just barely dodging its attack.

I land hard on the ground, but quickly make it back to my feet and take off running. I dodge between trees, but I can hear the flapping of its wings as it quickly catches up to me. I try to dodge again, but the little red bullet slams hard into my back, knocking me forward and off my feet. Thankfully my backpack absorbed most of the blow, or else I may have broken something. I shove myself off the ground, trying to get back to my feet when it slams into my side. I feel a slight crunch as one of my ribs fractures or breaks.

"Gaah!" I scream, rolling on to my back.

The Spearow flies at my face, and I'm swatting at it with my hands, which leads to one of my fingers getting bitten really badly. I swing hard, slapping the Spearow away, but it doesn't even damage the damn thing. I reach down, grabbing the first Pokeball I have available, and click the little button to grow it, and release the Pokemon inside.

"Help Odin!" I yell, as he quickly forms from within the red beam of light.

Odin has just about half of his HP left and looks really woozy on his feet. That doesn't stop him from jumping forward, horn first, to slam into the Spearow as it flies back towards me. His **Peck** attack hits pretty hard, but not nearly enough to even the odds. As Odin lands again, two more HP drop from his counter. I manage to get to my feet, as the Spearow launches itself at Odin once more. The poor little Nidoran manages to dodge, giving me a moment to think.

' _Maybe this will work!_ ' I think, grabbing the second Pokeball from my belt.

I swipe the ball across my C-Gear, registering the Pokemon to me, and immediately type the first name I think of. I rear back, tossing it into the field of battle.

"Go Needle! Use **String Shot**! Odin, **Focus Energy** and then **Peck**!" I yell, hoping to capitalize on using two Pokemon at once.

Needle flashes out within the red light, landing on his tiny little pads. He immediately shoots sticky strings from his mouth, which thankfully catch the Spearow head on. The strands of webbing slow it down enough for Odin, who had focused, to slam into it with a **Peck**.

 **CRITICAL HIT!**

"Yes!" I yelled, pumping my hand in the air, before grunting from the pain in my side and chest. " **P-Poison Sting** , Needle!" I yell.

Needle launches himself, his sharp needle sliding right into the wing of the Spearow. The Spearow's HP, which was a little past halfway down, turns the same sickly purple that both Odin and Needle were contending. The Spearow slaps Needle away, as the poison does its first bit of damage. It doesn't drop that far, but Odin slams into it once more, knocking it to the ground.

"Again guys! **String Shot** , **Focus Energy** , and **Peck**!" I yell.

Needle shoots a thin spray of webbing from where he is lying not too far from the Spearow. The Spearow isn't able to react in time and is again snagged by the strands, slowing it down tremendously. Odin runs, launching himself into the air to slam another **Peck** into the Spearow, sending it's HP down into the red, knocking it out.

 **Event Battle Over!**

 _Billy Lvl 2 +300 exp (421 till level 3)_

 _Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 7 +160 exp_

 _Level up! Odin is now Lvl 8 and needs 20 exp to level up again._

I drop to my knees, relief rushing into me. I can barely even see through the sharp pain in my side. The pain is nearly constant, throbbing with every beat of my heart, every breath I take. I push through the pain as best I can, turning to find Odin. I spot him laying on his side a half dozen feet away, breathing heavily. His HP has dipped into the red and is still steadily dropping. I grab his Pokeball, returning him as I swipe away the battle over alert.

As Odin is returned to the safety of his ball, I look further past him to find Needle. I spot him a little ways past the knocked out Spearow, and hit the button on his Pokeball to return him quickly. The light shoots out, hitting his tiny little body, the red light glancing off and shattering above him.

' _What? Why…_ ' I wonder, looking down at the ball.

I crawl as best I can to him, reaching out a shaking hand to feel his soft bulbous body.

"N-Needle?" I ask, shaking him lightly.

I cough, the sharp pain in my side slamming into me like a freight train as I spit up blood. I fall hard, landing on my already damaged side, my vision fading slowly to black.

"N-Needle...wake up…" I whisper as I fade away.

I never even noticed that his HP bar had hit zero.

* * *

 **Celadon Hospital**

"Honey, wake up…" I hear, a soft voice passing through the darkness.

The voice seems almost recognizable, through the haze of sleep. The darkness is thick, almost suffocating, pressing down around me like a thick heavy blanket.

"Billy...wake up baby…" I hear again, the same voice barely filtering through the darkness.

With a snap, my eyes fill with light, the weight of the darkness lifting as I come back to the world of the living. The world is a blur at first, and all I can hear is the soft beeping of a nearby machine. I try to move, but I still feel weighed down.

"W-what? W-here?" I mumble, my tongue feeling sluggish and broken.

"Billy! You're awake, thank goodness." I hear a woman exclaim from next to me.

' _Who...oh, my mother…_ ' I think, trying to put together my surroundings.

"Billy, honey, you're in the Celadon hospital. You were attacked...Someone found you not far inside the forest." My mom explained as a nurse starts to adjust things on my other side.

My vision is starting to clear, and my body isn't quite so groggy anymore. I lift my head slightly, looking over at my mom. I move my tongue around and notice that it's no longer all weird and sluggish.

"What happened to Odin and Needle?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"The Rangers that investigated the incident said that you saved your Nidorans life. They said that you must have been in extreme pain, and still managed to return him to his Pokeball before the Poison could do more damage." She explains, looking down at her hands.

She wrings her hands several times, before continuing. "Your weedle didn't make it, Billy, I'm sorry."

Horror and sadness fill my body, the crushing despair causing tears to well up. "But he...he was fine during the battle! I...He…" I stop, not able to even put words to thought.

"The Rangers said that had you not used Weedle to double team the Spearow that you and Nidoran would likely have died." She explains further. "So in a way, he saved your life…"

The shock must have been evident on my face, as she continued. "The Rangers recreated the battle as part of the investigation. They are still trying to find out where the Spearow came from...They appear in the area quite often, but they tend to not be very strong this close to the city. They said it would most likely be another week before they have any real answers."

"A-another week?" I ask, stunned.

"Oh! I'm sorry honey, yes. Your rib was badly broken and had done some damage inside you. The Doctors thought it best to leave you medicated for the week to let it heal without you moving very much." She tells me. "I, well, I know that losing a week right at the start of your Pokemon journey must upset you even more, but you can make up the time…"

She reaches out, putting her hand on mine, squeezing gently. "That is if you still want to continue?"

"I...yeah," I reply lamely.

Giving my hand another squeeze, she stands up. "I'm going to go speak with a nurse, find out when you'll be able to leave. You should be cleared to eat normal food, so I'll grab you a sandwich on my way back?"

"Yes please," I reply, the mention of food makes my stomach clench with need.

* * *

A few short hours later I was finally allowed to leave. The Doctors gave me another check over and found that my rib was fully healed, and in the correct placement. My mother had brought my backpack and clothes in from where they had been kept at the front check-in area, so I quickly got dressed. It took me only a moment to notice that the Pokeball containing Odin was missing.

My mom must have eyes like a hawk, as she immediately spotted my rising panic. "Your Nidoran is at the Pokecenter. He was healed, and then returned to his ball till you could come to get him."

"Oh, thank you. Of course, that makes sense." I reply, strapping the belt on completely.

We walked in silence from the hospital to the Pokecenter, the day's events still quite heavy on my mind. Thankfully the walk wasn't quite so long as to become awkward. The doors opened automatically to welcome us in, the noise from all the trainers hanging out inside flowing out to us as we stepped through. I look around, seeing about fifteen to twenty trainers of all ages throughout the center. Thankfully I spot the counter as well and quickly make my way over to it.

"Hi, there! Welcome to the Celadon City Pokecenter! Do your Pokemon need healing?" Nurse Joy asks.

"Hi, um, I believe you have my Nidoran?" I ask her cheerfulness a stark contrast to how I was feeling.

"Oh!" She exclaims, covering her mouth with both hands. "Yes, you must be Billy. I'll be back in just one second."

She bustles off into the back through a swinging door, and I can hear her typing into a keyboard back there. I glance to the side, the black, wide eyes of her Chansey staring deep into my soul.

" _Chansey!_ " It trills, bouncing as it speaks.

"Uhh...Yes?" I reply.

It bounces in place a few more times, it's large body jiggling like it's filled with jello.

' _This is such a weird place…_ ' I think as I watch its antics.

The door is pushed back open, Nurse Joy coming out with a small rectangular box covered in a black sheet. She sets it on the counter, a slight thump belaying its size. The noise in the center dies down quickly, filling with a few soft whispers. I feel the need to look around behind me, but I can nearly feel that I'm being stared at.

"Here is your Nidoran, Billy." Nurse Joy says, handing over his shrunken Pokeball.

I clip it to my belt in the first slot, not looking away from her eyes, as I try my best to ignore the silence behind me. She frowns, before motioning to the box under the black sheet. She reaches out, taking a corner, and pulls the sheet off. The box beneath it is a type of granite, or perhaps marble. On the front, an inscription reads 'Weedle', while on the top is a set of three prongs.

"Do you have your Weedle's Pokeball, Billy?" She asks softly.

I nod shakily, as I reach down and unclip the second slot Pokeball. I pass it over to her, trying to see through the tears in my eyes. She hits the button, causing it to grow to full size, before slipping it into the prongs facing me.

"I-is this…?" I ask, my voice a hushed whisper.

"Yes, honey." My mom replies from next to me. "I opted to have him cremated, and placed in an urn."

I nod, reaching out and lifting the heavy urn. I blink heavily, the tears in my eyes clearing slightly as I turn to leave. I stop, almost taking a small step back, but my mom places a hand softly on my back, urging me forward. The Trainers that had before been joyously enjoying their day, talking, laughing, had now lined up on both sides of the path from the counter to the door in silence. As I slowly walk, my Weedles final resting place in my arms, the Trainers bow at the waist as I go past.

"We're sorry for your loss."

* * *

A/N: A somber day in the world of Pokemon: Nuzlocke. I hope this chapter goes a long way towards explaining some of the underlying mechanics of the game world. I won't go into a deep discussion now about the rules, how they work, or how it's structured. Not only do I not want to write massive authors note, but I don't want to set anything in stone while I write the opening chapters. At least the first five or so. Because I just know the moment I set any new rule in place, I'll immediately find myself writing the next chapter, and wish I hadn't been so stringent. Instead, I'll set the rules as I go, and we shall build this world together.

Next chapter: Billy's journey starts again, after a major bump. He meets a new friend who has a secret and has a decision to make. Will he find the time to cope with his loss, or will he let it define him? Will he ever figure out that the game doesn't answer questions with cuss words in it?! Find out next time, on Pokemon! Nuzlocke!


	3. Chapter 3

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

* * *

Chapter 3: Expectations...

* * *

 **East Celadon Forest**

I didn't do much for another week, alternating between laying in bed all day and scouring the internet for interesting information. Odin spent much of this time lounging around, never really leaving my side. It wasn't till day five that I realized just how far I had fallen. Mom had just finished putting dinner out and called me to eat.

"You know…" She started, quietly. "Billy, you don't have to continue your journey. There are other paths that don't require badges. I could enter you in Rancher school? Breeding and raising Pokemon is just as fulfilling as going the gym route..."

I was startled, really. I hadn't realized that my moping around had her thinking I wanted to quit.

"No mom...Thank you for the offer, but I just needed a bit to get over everything." I told her as we started to eat. "I'll be ready to leave tomorrow."

"What? No, Billy, I wasn't worried. Everyone has a Pokemon die at some point. I'm just sorry that yours was on day one, and I knew that it would really affect you. Many people much older than you quit shortly after." She replies.

"Well, no worries. I know what I did wrong, and I'll be much more careful this time."

* * *

"You have everything, right?" She asks as I finish packing my backpack.

I nod, before making my way to the door.

"Is there anything else you need? Anything I can do to help?" She asks. "You could stay a few more days if you need?"

I stop at the door, my hand on the knob. Something had been bugging me for the past two days, and she might know the answer. The answer could be common knowledge, which would give away my lack of knowledge. Throwing caution to the wind, I turn back to my mom.

"How did my Weedle get poisoned?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" She asks, startled. "He was poisoned while fighting your Nidoran, right?"

"Yes, but Weedle is Poison type and I thought they couldn't be poisoned?" I reply, looking down.

"Oh! No, that's a common misconception. Poison types are immune to poison, but only their specific type of poison. Nidoran and their family produce a different type from what Weedles are immune too. Even then though, types don't give the entire picture, because the Bug Poison-type Pokemon Ariados and Spinarak hunt other Bug types. There is a lot of background on the different types of Poison, and which Pokemon produces what type. I thought they would go over that in school though…" She tells me, looking thoughtful.

"They did, I must have just forgotten," I reply lamely. ' _Shit! This is way more complicated than I expected._ '

She comes over to me, pulling me in for another hug. "If you need me, call me Billy. I know this has been a rough start, but you can do it."

I hug her back, thanking her for the vote of confidence. I quickly make my way out of the house and start heading east. As horrible as it was to see the first Pokemon I've ever caught die, I know I need to keep moving forward. The fact that everyone in the center seemed to feel for me was actually pretty uplifting. I was here in the world of Pokemon for the time being, and all I could do was keep moving forward. Giving up wasn't an option, considering I was in this world till I die again.

I pull up my map and see the northwest forest outside of Celedon still flashing red. From the previous experience, I knew that meant I would be unable to catch anything there. I use the touchscreen to zoom in and explore the maps functions better. The area around Celedon is divided into four sections, only one of which is flashing red. It seemed that the areas around each city were divided into sections, and were associated with the city close by till about two miles out. That meant I could still catch Pokemon in NE, SE, and SW Celedon Forest without having an issue from this 'Nuzlocke' thing. Further south of Celedon was a large ocean and more forest, but both were unnamed. I assumed that I could catch there as well.

"Time to make the best of this…" I tell myself, before setting out.

* * *

Half an hour later I was in SW Celedon Forest going through the paces with Odin again. Fighting low leveled Rattata and Pidgey wasn't giving him much in the way of experience, but he was only twenty away when I started out anyway.

"Odin, **Peck**!" I order as he dodges a gust.

He lands and spins quickly, throwing himself at the Pidgey's back, slamming into it with a nice thud and knocking it to the ground. It's HP drops into the red, and it passes out.

 **Battle Over!**

 _Billy Lvl 2 +16 exp (698 till level 3)_

 _Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 8 + 16 exp_

 _Level up! Odin is now Lvl 9 and needs 75 exp to level up again._

 _Odin has learned_ _ **Double Kick**_ _._

I swipe away the alert and return Odin to his Pokeball. He's only down about ten percent of his HP, which is safe enough. He's rapidly out leveling the Pokemon in this area, so I don't see there being much chance of him getting seriously hurt. Reclipping his ball to my belt, I look around the area checking each of the info bars and names I can see.

 **Jackie**

My eyes narrow at a name I can see floating in the distance through the trees and brush. I hadn't seen a person's name before out here, so this was new to me. The fact that it was moving around erratically definitely counted as weird. I considered for a moment not heading that way, and instead just skirting the area, but curiosity got the better of me. I work my way in that direction. It wasn't easy to go quietly, tripping over a few hidden branches in the brush, but I did eventually make it close enough to hear some of what was going on.

"Ahhh!" A high pitched screech.

I picked up the pace, forcing my way through the brush until I had managed to break into the opening. A girl perhaps a few years older than my current age was running in a circle, her backpack covering her head, and black, brown, and red blur attacking the bag in her hands.

 **Spearow**

 **Lvl 13 36/36 HP**

' _Spearow…_ ' I thought, my hand snatching at Odin's ball.

"Go, Odin! **Focus Energy** , and then **Double Kick**!" I yelled, as I through his Pokeball as high into the air as I could.

The red beam of light erupts from the ball, Odin forming in mid-air. He instantly adjusts, his form glowing slightly as he begins to fall downwards, **Focus Energy** kicking in. With almost perfect timing, the girl runs in her little circle, the Spearow lining up perfectly for Odin to slam into it, his little feet crashing into it.

 **Critical Hit!**

I remembered from the games that for **Double Kick** if the first is a critical hit, the second does the same damage. Odin seemed to bounce off the Spearow back into the air, the force of blow slamming the small bird into the ground from the hit. Odin adjusts his angle, slamming down onto it again for the second kick.

 **Spearow**

 **Lvl 13 10/36 HP**

It's HP hasn't hit red, so it's not knocked out.

"Odin, **Double Kick** again!" I yell, pointing at the murderous bird, my eyes glazing with rage.

"No, stop!" The girl, Jackie, yells from behind me.

As Odin flies at the Spearow, preparing to end it's life, a beam of red light flashes by me hitting the Spearow, absorbing it, and sucking it back. I turn, following the beam of energy to where it ends at a red and white Pokeball in the girl's hand.

 **Battle Over!**

 _Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 9 +277 exp_

 _Level up! Odin is now Lvl 11 and needs 211 exp to level 12._

* * *

 **Two Weeks Prior**

A girl carefully steps out of the forest, surveying the battleground in front of her. A young boy lays on his back, a Pokeball clutched in one hand, his other hand resting on a Weedle. She bent down, moving the Weedle slightly before looking away sadly. She grabs her phone from her pocket, quickly typing in a number before it begins to ring. Two short chirps later, a voice asks what her emergency is.

"Hi, Yes, I'm outside of Celedon, and a boy has been attacked by a Spearow. His Weedle is...d-dead...Yes...No, he's young. Maybe a new trainer?" She replies to the unheard questions.

" _Spearow_!" She hears and quickly turns around.

The Spearow is back on its feet, obviously wobbly from the poisoning.

"The Spearow is back up...Okay, I can try." She says.

She reaches down, grabbing one of her spare Pokeballs, and throws it at the Spearow. It thunks off, a direct hit, the Spearow turning into energy before being absorbed. She puts the phone back to her ear, letting them know the Pokemon has been captured.

"Okay, yes, I'll stay here." She replies, before ending the call.

She waits a few moments before a slight shhhhee sound from behind alerts her to a new arrival. The Ranger returns his Kadabra, quickly making his way over to the injured boy. After checking on him for a minute, he enters some info into a pad, and two more Rangers appear and quickly get to work. The girl hands over the captured Spearow, before bowing, and running off back into the woods.

* * *

 **Present**

"I see…" I said, after hearing her story. "So I have you to thank for saving my life?"

"N-no! I mean, all I did was call the Rangers. It's like, the thing you do when someone needs help?" She seems to ask.

"Well, thank you anyway," I replied. "How did you end up with the Spearow, and why was it attacking you?"

"Oh…After the Ranger's finished investigating, they returned him to me since he was now registered to me. I let it out and was trying to work out how best to be friends. He wasn't quite up for it...I don't know if he will be now." She answers.

"Makes sense...Well, I'll get going now. Be careful with him, okay?" I say, before turning to walk away.

I make it about ten feet before she calls my name, rushing to me.

"Hmm?" I ask.

"Billy...will you take the Spearow?" She asks, "He's too strong for me, and you did all the damage that weakened him to make him capturable..."

* * *

I stared down at the shrunken Pokeball clutched in her hand for several moments, before shaking my head.

"I can't, I'm sorry. I would if I could, but I've got too many issues with that Spearow." I tell her.

"O-oh, right, of course. I'm sorry! I'm dumb for asking, I-" She starts stammering.

"It's fine, really. In any other circumstances, I would take him. He seems powerful…" I reply.

"Oh okay...Well, I'm glad you're healthy again. I'm sorry for your loss." She tells me and starts walking away.

"Hey, Jackie...can I get your number? In case we happen to be near each other again we can hang out or something." I ask, stopping her exit.

"Oh! Sure!" She replies, before entering my number into her phone, and messaging me so I'd have hers as well. "See you again some time, Billy."

* * *

 **Two Days Later**

I'd been out in the woods for three days total now, only needing to make a single trip back into Celedon to get Odin healed. We seemed to have cleared out a lot of the Pokemon in this area, as the amount had dropped tremendously.

' _Perhaps from the constant battling?_ ' I wondered as we made our way north.

On day two I had defeated a young kid with a Weedle and a Caterpie, winning $45. His two level six Pokemon didn't give much exp, but with a few more wild Pokemon battles, Odin had made it to level 12.

 **EVENT NOTICE!**

 _A Pokemon Swarm is moving through the area. While not dangerous, this is a good chance to capture multiple of the same pokemon for breeding or trading._

I freeze as I see the Event Notice pop into my vision, my heart thudding in my chest before I relax as I read it. For a moment I had flashed back to being attacked by the Spearow, expecting another dangerous event.

"But wait...How can I catch more than one Pokemon if the area gets locked?" I wondered aloud.

 **Bing!**

 _Event Pokemon are exceptions to area locking. While one Pokemon can be caught, named, and used in battles, any other event Pokemon will be locked to trading, sale, and breeding only._

"What? How does that make sense!" I exclaimed. "How does that fit with whatever the hell a Nuzlocke is?!"

Again I was greeted by silence. I didn't scream, but it was close. Very, very close. Shaking my head, I look back at the event notice. I look around but don't see anything that indicates where the swarm is at. I open my map and see that there is a flashing white icon about five hundred meters to my northwest. It was within the currently open area for catches, so I figured I might as well check it out. I start off in that direction, ignoring the few Pokemon I spot the names of in favor of this event.

* * *

I could see the giant mass of floating names long before I got close enough to actually see them. There were so many that it was actually hard to see them individually, but it only took a few seconds to spot a readable name.

 **Doduo**

 **Lvl 11**

There were literally hundreds of them, milling around, pecking at the ground, plants, each other, themselves. As I got closer and closer, it became a cacophony of noise, almost painful to the ears. I had to cover them, pushing through the forest and grass until I managed to get a good look at them. I was about 40 feet away, a small valley and a pond filling the small open space that the Doduo rested in. A few of them pecked around in the water, pulling out a Magikarp which was quickly devoured.

' _I thought Doduo only lived in like plains or open areas?_ ' I wondered, watching them run about.

I had to think back to what else I might know about them. I knew they were skittish, but also highly aware. They took turns sleeping so one head was always awake. They also couldn't fly but were quite fast runners.

' _I wish I could remember more…_ ' I think, quietly watching them.

Most of them are between level 8 and 15. I don't want to aim too high, especially with so many of them running around. I doubt they would attack, more likely they will run, but I had to be careful nonetheless. I circle the area, staying hidden in the forest as best I can, watching the group closely. A few had spotted me but didn't seem all that bothered at the moment. About a quarter of the way around, I see something that stops me in my tracks. While most of the Doduo are around my own height, perhaps slightly taller, one near the edge of the swarm is barely half as big. It's also green-tinged, instead of orange.

As I watch, one of the larger Doduo pecks at the smaller one, knocking it down, and several others seem to laugh. I assume that much like albino animals are abandoned in the wild, different colored Pokemon may have the same issues here. At level 13 it was also stronger than most of the Doduo other but still seemed to get picked on. The one being an asshole was only level 9, which made sense in a way. I grabbed Odin's Pokeball from my waist and tossed it high into the air.

"Odin, **Focus Energy** , and **Double Kick**!" I called out as he appeared above the Doduo, pointing at the bully.

While it was practically turning into a signature move, I couldn't fault its effectiveness. Odin slammed down onto the Doduo's right head, spinning to catch the left head as well as it collapsed. It wasn't a critical hit but still did enough damage to knock it out in one hit. The other Doduo screeched as one, taking off running in every direction. I had to dodge two of them that came barreling right at me, but it was clear they were simply escaping. A moment later they had cleared the area, only the shiny Doduo, and the knocked out Doduo remaining.

I approached them both, returning Odin as I did. "Are you okay?"

The shiny Doduo studied me for a moment before getting to his feet. " _Do Do Du!_ "

I assumed that meant he was okay. "Do they pick on you often?" I asked as he stretched slightly.

It nodded again, looking down at the bully.

"Well...would you like to join my team? Then you wouldn't need to worry about being picked on…" I ask, studying him.

He seemed to consider it, making clicking noises back and forth between the two heads. I took one of the empty Pokeballs from my waist, the ball expanding as I hit the center button. All four eyes studied the ball, looking back and forth to me as well. The right head leaned forward, inching closer and closer to the ball. The left head snaps forward, hitting the ball out of my hand as it whips around and takes off sprinting. I flinch, before taking off after it.

' _Apparently, the nice approach is bullshit. Stupid Anime,_ ', I thought, as I sprinted after it.

I felt slightly bad as it clearly didn't want to be on my team, but this was Pokemon, and that was the point. To fight Pokemon, catch them, and figure it out from there. While normally a Doduo would easily outrun me, this one was injured, much smaller than normal, and was now running through the woods as opposed to wide open plains. It had a slight headstart, but it's inability to run for long stretches was letting me slowly catch up.

"Almost there!" I yelled as it had to sidestep a set of close trees, allowing me to close the distance.

I grabbed Odin's ball from my waist, throwing it in front of the Doduo, releasing Odin in front of it. Stopping in its tracks, I quickly order Odin to use **Peck**. Odin rushes forward, slamming his little horn into the Doduo, knocking it back towards me. It was down to about 70% of it's HP already.

" **Double Kick**!" I yell.

The Doduo puffs up, it's body showing great agitation as it pecks Odin out of the air. He lands on his feet, jumping into the air to kick it twice and knocking it back. It seems to puff up even more before screeching as it rushes to Odin, trying to stomp on him. He barely dodges, pecking at the Doduo again, slowly chipping away at it's HP. Again it gets even puffier and angrier, practically screaming at Odin, trying it's best to stomp on him.

" **Double Kick** Odin!" I order, watching in rapt attention.

 **Critical Hit!**

 **Decisive Blow!**

Odin slams his foot into the Doduos left leg, a loud crack echoing across the woods as the Doduo collapses to the ground, his leg at a horrible angle.

"Oh god!" I gasp, snapping out of what I can only describe as a battle trance.

I rush forward to the Doduo's side, trying to help, but it pecks me away, clearly still under the effects of its **Rage**. It's HP is down to 25%, and I don't see much of a choice.

"Odin, knock it out so I can capture it and take it to the center," I order.

Odin nods, before launching forward and kicking it twice in the head, sending it's HP into the red, and knocking it out. I grab the empty Pokeball from before, dropping it on to its body. A single shake and the center button flashes red, signaling the successful capture.

 **Battle Over!**

 _Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 12 +173 exp_

 _Odin needs 107 exp to level 13_

 **Bing!**

 **You caught a Doduo(Shiny)!**

 **Due to event rules, this capture does not trigger the Nuzlocke rules.**

 _ **+300 exp (421 exp points till level 3!)**_

 _ **Chase Bonus! +100 exp (321 exp points till level 3!)**_

 _ **Rarity Bonus!(Shiny) +1000 (-679 exp points till level 3!)**_

 _ **Event Bonus!(Swarm) +200 (-879 exp points till level 3!)**_

 **Bing!**

 **Level Up Alert!**

I clipped the newly filled Pokeball to my waist and tapped on the new alert. My eyes were filled with sheets and sheets of information on leveling up.

"Oh, this is going to be complicated."

* * *

A/N: And we are back! Billy has some issues to work out after the loss of Needle, but he seems to be on the mend. The game is still fucking with him, but he appears to be getting used to it. Having earned a new level, and with it a new ability, will he find an answer to his most important question?

The fuck is a Nuzlocke?

Find out next time on Pokemon! Nuzlocke!

A/N:

So...it's been 11 months since I last updated. I'd apologize, but I did manage to write one of the most followed stories in the Dragonball Fandom, so I can't call that time wasted. With DBR done, for the time being, I'm writing Naruto and this story again! The updates won't be super well timed, but I doubt it will take me more than a month or two to write each new chapter, for each story. Join my discord if you haven't already! Discord gg/3Kc8pTF . And, if you've read this far, I've got something fun for you. I plan to pull from my discord, and reviews, a few active people to make Trainers and teams for this story. Gym Leaders, random events, Elite 4. If you'd like to see your creation added to my story, review and join the discord. When it comes time for me to need one, I'll reach out to a random reviewer or discord member, and we'll figure it out.

Until next time, this is Klldarkness, and this is Chapter 3 of Pokemon: Nuzlocke


	4. Chapter 4

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

* * *

Chapter 4: I read it for the Plot!

* * *

Leveling up was an interesting experience, to say the least. My range, that is to say, the distance I could see the Pokemon and people around me, increased by a fair distance. I also received two new...I hesitate to call them abilities, but that's what they boiled down to. One was called " **Item Finder** ", and would alert me to items that had been dropped, or lost, around me. The other was significantly more interesting, and looking down at Odin was the first indication of what it actually did.

 **Nidoran (Odin)**

 **Lvl 12**

 **HP - 24 - 0 - 35**

 **ATK - ? - ? - ?**

 **DEF - ? - ? - ?**

 **SATK - ? - ? - ?**

 **SDEF - ? - ? - ?**

 **SPD - ? - ? - ?**

The first row was labeled IV, the second was EV, and the final was stats. It seemed I could now see the information related to Pokemon's stats. I had to have a line of sight on a wild Pokemon and focus for a second, but the little graph would pop up for them as well.

"Wild…" I whispered, looking around at the new information.

I could only imagine that as I leveled, I would eventually be able to see the entire set of stats for the Pokemon around me. This would come in handy for breeding, and even in battles, as I would know if something is lower in defense or special defense. I returned Odin, and pulled up my map, orienting myself towards town. I needed to get this Doduo healed as soon as possible. I didn't mean to hurt it so badly, so I needed to get this fixed.

* * *

 **Celedon City Pokemon Center**

It's interesting that in the games Celedon was so small, but like the Anime, the city was massive. This also meant there was more than one Pokemon Center, so tracking one down was easy enough. Thankfully this one wasn't the same one that I'd dealt with Needle within.

' _That would feel awkward…_ ' I thought as I got into line.

It only took about five minutes to make it to the front of the line, where I was greeted by Nurse Joy and Chansey.

"Hi! Welcome to our Pokemon Center. How can we help you?" Nurse Joy chirped as I approached.

"Hi there. I caught a Doduo, and I think its leg was broken during the battle." I explain. "I'd also like my Nidoran to be healed, please."

"A Doduo?" She asks, holding her hand out, "Where did you find one of those around here? They don't normally come too close to town."

"Oh...uh...Southwest of town? There was a whole group of them." I replied lamely, handing her both Pokeballs.

She places both Pokeballs on a little pad in front of her, the indention lighting up momentarily. The screen in front of her fills in with information on my Doduo's health as she pulls the second off and hands it to Chansey, who takes it to the healer.

"Ah, I see it. Yes, his leg is broken. It's a relatively clean break thankfully. We'll give him a run through a healer, and then place him in EC. It shouldn't take more than 24 to 48 hours to heal it up." She explains, tapping through screens

"EC?" I ask, never having heard the reference.

"Oh! EC is Extended Care. Any injuries that won't heal from the quick healing machines require time in EC. It's the same as the Healer, but slower, and much more extensive.

"Oh, thank you!" I reply, quite happy to know it isn't a serious injury and can be taken care of with relative ease.

"He's registered to you, so we'll call you once he's better, okay?" She asks, returning Odin's Pokeball to me.

"Of course, I won't be too far away!" I answer.

I nod and take my leave, heading right back out into the woods. My new abilities already have me excited for what comes next.

* * *

 **Two Days Later**

So first, let me tell you that people drop everything. I didn't even make it into the woods before I was getting a bing that a dropped item was nearby. A few moments searching, and I found a shrunken Pokeball in a garbage can. I assumed it was accidentally thrown away somehow. I was, however, even more surprised when I found a Potion under a bush, an Ether sitting on a bench, and two Premier Balls floating lazily around a fountain. I spent the better part of an hour tracking down every lost or hidden item between the Pokemon Center and the closest wood entrance. In the end, I actually needed to stop searching, or I may never have made it into the woods at all.

' _For real, who drops a Great Ball? Those things are expensive!_ ' I thought for the tenth time, as I crawled through some brush.

The area had plenty of Pidgey, Rattata, and Spearow. Most were low leveled, but I did find them in groups some times, which made defeating them worth the experience. Of course, after two days of concentrated effort, I got Odin up to level 13, which is when I made an even more interesting discovery.

 **Battle Over!**

 _Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 12 +19 exp_

 _Level up! Odin is now Lvl 13 and needs 340 exp to level 14._

 _Odin has learned_ _ **Poison Sting**_ _!_

I read the alert several times, trying to piece together what was off about it before it finally clicked. The game didn't ask me what move I wanted him to forget, simply telling me that he had learned a new move.

"Odin?" I called, his little feat quickly carrying him over to me.

" _Nido?_ " He asked once he was by me.

"You know uh…" I said, trying to think what basic stat move Nidorans knew. " **Growl** , or **Leer**?"

He paused before nodding, which told me he knew at least one of those. I knew he knew **Peck** , **Focus Energy** , and **Double Kick** , which would give him four moves.

"Do you know **Poison Sting**?" I asked, getting a hesitant nod in return.

' _It seems he knows five moves now...I guess that makes sense as this isn't a game-game. He can know many more moves._ ' I think, petting his head.

"Return Odin," Isay, as I collect him back into his Pokeball.

I consider doing some more training, but that train of thought was interrupted by the chirping and vibrating of my C-Gear. Pulling it up, I tap on the answer button as the screens slide apart.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Hi Billy, this is Nurse Joy! I'm just calling to let you know that your Doduo is perfectly healed, and ready for pick up." Nurse Joy replies happily.

"Oh, thank you! I should be there in about two hours." I reply, sliding over to my map to get an ETA. "Closer to an hour and a half."

"That works great. Also, just to warn you ahead of time; I let your Doduo out so he could stretch his leg and I could make sure it was healed perfectly, and another gentleman saw him. I didn't know your Doduo was shiny, otherwise, I'd have been more circumspect." Nurse Joy explains. "He'd like to speak to you when you come in. I think he wants to make a trade or purchase offer."

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you for the heads up." I reply, and she ends the call.

I set my new destination, and set off, wondering all the while what new situation I'd gotten in to.

* * *

 **Pokemon Center**

It was getting closer to late evening when I stepped through the sliding doors of the Pokemon Center and found no line waiting for me, which I was thankful for. I made my way to the counter, slipping past two kids that were talking about some new game, and grabbed Nurse Joy's attention. She quickly handed over the Pokeball, and after a huge thank you to her, I quickly made to leave.

"Excuse me, young man?" A voice from the resting area calls.

Looking over, I see an older man, maybe mid to late thirties, sitting on the couch, a laptop on the cushion beside him.

"Could I bother you about your Doduo, please?" He asks, motioning me over.

I don't want to be rude, so I walk over and here his piece.

"I saw Nurse Joy release that beautiful Doduo of yours earlier. She was willing to tell me that you would most likely be in later today to pick it up, so I had to wait and speak with you." He explains. "I'd like to buy it off of you for 10% greater than the highest offer on the GTS."

"The GTS?" I ask, bewildered.

"Yes...the Global Trade System? I checked a moment ago and the current top offer for a shiny Doduo is $42,000. I'm prepared to offer you $48k, as it's also smaller than the average size range." He says, pulling up the page on his laptop.

I study the page for a moment, mulling the thought over. ' _I hadn't even realized that people paid this kind of money for rare Pokemon. $48k is more than I made in salary in my old life every year!_ '

Seeing my hesitation, he continues on. "If perhaps money isn't a big deal to you, I also have several rare Pokemon from Johto, and Hoenn for trade. No shinies, but quite rare nonetheless. You'd need to sign the import paperwork, but I'd be willing to cover the import tax as a part of the trade."

"I'm sorry sir. This is only my third ever Pokemon, and my first shiny. As good as the offers are, I don't think I can part with him." I reply.

"Hmm. Are you sure?" He asks. "I could raise the offer to $51,000?"

As much of a struggle as it is to say no, I do. It takes me a few more moments, but I eventually convince him that I'm not willing to give it up. He finally accepts it and leaves.

"Billy?" Nurse Joy calls from the counter. "It's getting quite late. We have a few rooms available if you'd like to stay the night?"

Having not known that Pokecenters even have rooms, I nod, and she leads me down a side hallway and down a flight of stairs.

"Room 2C is free. Just sign in using the datapad next to the door, and it will work with your C-Gear as a lock of sorts. Check out is automatically done at 8 am, breakfast is served at 6 am. If you need anything, there is a phone in the room that reaches me anywhere!" She lets me know, before leaving me be.

It takes me a minute to get the datapad to work, but once I do the door slides open to show a set of twin beds, a bathroom, a small table, and a TV. Apparently, I'd been sleeping in the woods for nothing.

' _...Though, now that I think about it...why don't I just sleep at home? I'm in the same damn city..._ ' I think, as I set my backpack down and hop in the shower.

* * *

After determining that perhaps tradition is the reason, and cleaning up, I release Odin from his Pokeball on to the bed. He looks around for a moment before settling on me.

"We're staying here tonight Odin. " I explain. "I'd also like to let our new friend out, see if we can't come to an understanding."

He nods, so I grab the Pokeball off my waist.

 **Warning!**

 **While this Pokemon was caught for an event and did not lock down its locale for catching, it will still require a name if you plan to use it to battle or keep.**

I read the alert and nod, having expected it. I press the ball against my C-Gear, getting the registration to pop up once more. I enter in the name I had been considering all day, accepting the change. A moment later I press the center button to release the Doduo into the room. The red light shoots out, coalescing into the bright green Doduo, which is clearly on the defensive.

"Hey there Doduo. I'm really really sorry about your leg. Neither I nor Odin here meant to hurt you that badly." I explain, holding up both of my hands to pacify it.

It listens to me before the two heads seem to chatter amongst themselves. From before I knew that one was interested in being my Pokemon, while the second had other thoughts.

"As you can see though, I got you healed as soon as possible, and I'd really like it if you forgive me, and agree to be my Pokemon. Like I promised before, I'd like to help get you strong, so no one can bully you again." I say, getting its attention.

It looks at me, one head nodding while the other just stares. "I've even picked out a kickass name for you?"

The Doduo seems to perk up slightly at that, obviously waiting to hear it. "Where I come from, there is a myth about multi-headed birds. That they are heralds, bringing news, visions, and tidings of the future. So, I've picked out Prophet as your name, if you'll have it."

Both heads seem to consider what I've said before nodding together, making bird noises which I take as acceptance.

"Awesome! Thanks, guys, that really makes me happy. Prophet, this is Odin."

The two Pokemon seem to talk to each other, which I take the time to get comfortable in bed. The remote is on the side table, so I turn the TV on and start flipping through the channels. I come across a news channel, and stop surfing to see what is happening in the world. The news patters on for a while, talking about current events, before a headline grabs my attention.

" **In other news, two-time Kanto Elite 4 Champion Red was sighted in Sinnoh again today. Rumors speculate that he is there for a second attempt at starting a Tri-Regional Pokemon League. We'll keep you updated on this, and more, on KPNC, your Kanto Pokemon News Channel!** " The commentator says, before going to commercial.

' _Wait the fuck up...Red was the guy I fought in Crystal in that giant mountain. He exists here?_ ' I wonder, watching the commercial.

I grab my C-Gear and connect to the PokeWeb, pulling up more information on Red. It seemed that here, Red beat Blue to become the youngest Champion at 12, and four years later traveled to Johto to train, after losing his Championship. He eventually went back and won it again, and had remained undefeated since then...Over ten years ago. That would make this currently 16 years after the start of Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, Fire Red, and Leaf Green, and 12 years after the events of Gold, Silver, Crystal, Heart Gold, and Soul Silver.

Seeing as the last game I beat was Emerald, I had no clue what all had happened in the other games, or even where they fit in the timeline. Now that I lived here, I had to say that I regretted that decision. If I'd known I would end up here, I definitely would have played more of the games, watched the anime, and read the manga.

"Damn you hindsight…" I say out loud.

" _Nido?_ "

" _Dod?_ "

"...Nothing guys...Let's get some sleep."

* * *

A/N: And we're back! Introducing leveling, GTS, history, backstory, and putting in some PLOT? I say yes! Billy has his work cut out for him, in a world where he simply isn't prepared...Find out more in the next chapter of Pokemon:Nuzlocke!

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! I needed this one to build some plot for the next part of the story. This felt like the best place to end it, so end it did. In the next chapter, we'll explore some more of Celadon City, and have our first "on screen" trainer battle! If you have any suggestions, ideas, etc, etc, feel free to leave a review! Leave a review even if you don't! Join my discord! There are links in most chapters that should be active. For my readers that enjoy my other stories, Naruto is next! Keep an eye out for that in the next few weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

* * *

Chapter 5: Am I ready for this?

* * *

I woke up an hour before my alarm went off, and kinda trudged along. After sleeping in bushes for a week, getting to sleep in a bed made me not want to wake up at all. However, after eating a quick breakfast, and feeding Odin and Prophet, I headed back out, waving to Nurse Joy on my way. After a small distraction to collect an Ether someone had dropped, I was making my way towards southwest Celadon city. After climbing over a row of bushes, I found myself on a small path that led to my destination for the day, the sign atop the building visible even from here.

 **Celedon Gym**

I wasn't sure if I was ready for this yet, but I figured worst-case scenario I'd lose, heal my Pokemon, and get back to training. Best case scenario I'd defeat a few of the lower level trainers, and maybe try my hand at the gym leader. If I somehow win, I can see how that affects the game. The sign next to the door said that the gym would open at 8 am, so I had a bit of a wait ahead of me. I settled down on a bench nearby, pulling out my C-Gear to pass the time.

* * *

I'll admit I got a bit distracted watching one of the most recent finalists battle it out in Victory Road, but I didn't realize I was so deeply entranced.

"Hey!" I hear, jerking my attention away.

"Oh, sorry!" I reply, closing the video, looking up at the person that had gotten my attention.

He was around my age, a bit taller and thicker than me. He looked weirdly wiry, as though he spent a lot of time training his body.

"I said hey like five times." He said, staring at me. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, uh. Sorry! I was watching the most recent Victory Road battles." I reply, trying to explain my distraction. "I'm here to fight at the gym I guess…"

"Hmmph. You've been a trainer for like what, three weeks?" He asks. "How many pokemon do you have?"

"Almost a month, and I have two. Why?" I ask.

"You won't stand a chance here. Go train some more and come back in a few months." He replied, turning to enter the gym.

"E-excuse me?" I splutter. "You're the same age as me! Don't act all high and mighty."

He paused, before turning around on his heels. "You're right, my apology. What does it matter that I've been training for over a year? But fine. If you can beat my Bella, I'll admit that I was wrong about you."

 **Battle Start!**

"One V One, so pick carefully." He explained, pulling a shrunken ball from his belt, expanding into a green and black ball I didn't recognize.

I reach down and grab Odin's Pokeball, throwing it into the air.

"Go, Odin!" I cried.

The red light exploded from the ball, coalescing into his quadrupedal form on the ground.

"Go, Bella!" The kid yelled, smirking, a repeat performance of my own, but a Bellsprout appearing at the end.

" **Bella" Bellesprout**

 **Lvl 9**

 **HP - 18 - 39 - 30**

 **ATK - ? - ? - ?**

 **DEF - ? - ? - ?**

 **SATK - ? - ? - ?**

 **SDEF - ? - ? - ?**

 **SPD - ? - ? - ?**

Seeing his level I immediately send Odin on the offensive. "Odin! **Poison Sting**!"

"Dodge Bella hit it with **Vine whip**!" The other kid orders.

Odin launches forward, spike first, but the thin Bellsprout manages to wiggle out of the way of his first thrust. It's leaf tentacle-like arms snap out, slapping across Odin's side and back, knocking him back a bit as he tries to turn around.

 **Poison Point Activate!**

Odin's ability kicks in as the Bellsprout made physical contact, thankfully poisoning it anyway.

"Again Odin!" I order.

" **Wrap**!" The kid orders.

Odin jumps forward, slamming into the Bellsprout, but his horn misses its thin body. It's tentacles slide out, wrapping around Odin's body, lifting him in the air. Odin tries to struggle his way out, but the tentacles only wrap tighter.

"Slam it into the ground, Bella, then hit it with **Hidden Power**!" He orders.

I watch in horror as Odin is slammed hard into the ground, bouncing twice before landing in a crumpled mess. The Bellsprout glows for a second, before a beam of bright white light shoots from its mouth, slamming into Odin, knocking his HP into the red, coating him in a thin layer of ice.

"Odin!" I cried out, grabbing his Pokeball and returning him.

"Return Bella." He orders, before walking over to me.

"Your Nidoran is strong, but you're inexperienced." He tells me. "Don't try and face a gym so quickly. Your journey just started! There isn't a rush."

"Yeah...I-I guess I'm not ready yet," I reply, pulling out my C-Gear. "What's your ID?"

"Keep your money. Go heal your Nidoran, and come back in a few weeks. Face a few trainers in town or a few of the other kids that just started. They are all around town still. Very few leave their starter city without a badge first." He replies, turning to head into the gym.

The click of the door closing is like a slap to the face. Losing is painful...To have lost to someone the same age as my body, with a Pokemon four levels below my own was painful. With a sad shake of my head, I headed back to the Pokemon Center.

* * *

"Billy!" Nurse Joy calls out, grabbing my attention.

I quickly make my way back to the front desk where I receive the Pokeball containing Odin. After thanking her, and being told to be more careful, I pull out my C-Gear and study my map. From my first time out in the woods, I remembered seeing something shoot fire in the distance. I'd stayed away as that was obviously a good idea, but the fact was that a fire Pokemon would be a huge deal in defeating the grass gym. I did a few searches, trying to see if I could find out what Pokemon were in this area, but wasn't able to track anything concrete down. Unable to figure anything out, I did what I always did. Wandered out into the wilderness to wing it.

* * *

 **12 Hours Later**

Really, you'd think I would have learned by now. Here I was, being chased through the woods by a wild pokemon, my ass scorched from a well-placed ember, my fingers clutched around the Premier ball I'd grabbed from my bag in a panic.

"Gaaah!" I yelled, jumping across a small chasm that I swear wasn't there when I came this way the first time.

" _Pix! Pix! Vul! Pix!_ " I hear from behind me, like a small mob preparing to deal justice to a lawbreaker.

"Fuck me!"

* * *

 **20 Minutes Earlier**

Okay, so I'll admit I was getting a little frustrated. I'd been out here searching for over half a day, it was near midnight, and I still hadn't found a single fire Pokemon. I had managed to level both Odin and Prophet again each, but that didn't help me with my current plan. I was near eight miles from Celedon at this point, right near the edge of the map, where it transitions to the Saffron City SouthEast forest, and decided to head back a bit and get some sleep. I'd have to sleep in the bush again, but I was getting pretty used to it. After about 10 minutes of walking, I found a nice space to settle down and set about putting up my sleeping bag. Which of course is the exact moment the game started fucking with me.

 **NEW EVENT!**

' **Fox Den'**

The alert popping up nearly caused me to piss myself, but I had thankfully used the bathroom about half an hour ago so there was nothing to ruin my pants with. After my heart rate dropped back down, I tapped on the event icon, which added a small marker to my C-Gears map. Since I enjoy getting experience, and my last even involved a large amount of Doduo, I decided I may as well take a peek. A quick walk, five minutes or so, and I was looking down on an adorable scene.

Five tiny Vulpix, all level five, were playing together in a small hollowed-out tree. I could see the broken shards of eggs, which told me that these were practically newborns. The tree had clearly been hollowed out with fire, the charred edges make that obvious. I consider for a moment if I really should try to capture one. There is no telling where the mom or dad is, or when they may return. This could be one of my few chances to grab an easy fire pokemon.

' _You're an idiot Billy, just do it!_ ' I thought, before stepping out of the brush.

The tiniest noise, of course, alerts them to me being there, and all four sets of eyes land on me.

"Hi, guys… I…" Was all I got out before all hell broke loose.

I had of course forgotten that Vulpix learns **Ember** at level 1, so when four tiny mouths shot fire at me, I'll admit I didn't move instantly. In a panic I jumped to the right, landing hard on my hands and knees, but thankfully not taking an **Ember** to the face. I jumped to my feet again, barely dodging the three tiny blasts of fire that hit the ground where I had just been. A small blast of fire slams into my backpack, which knocks me over, but doesn't light it on fire. Apparently, my mom had the forethought to buy me a fire retardant backpack.

What it did do was knock a few items loose, which I knew I didn't have a chance to collect. Thankfully it was all items I had found using my **ItemFinder** ability, so I wasn't terribly worried about it. I grab Odin's Pokeball, preparing to release him to start a beat down on these tiny, not quite defenseless fox Pokemon, when a small head slams into my midsection, knocking his ball from my hand, sending me to my ass gasping for breath.

I reach out blindly, trying to get my breath back, grabbing Odin's ball.

"Go, Odin!" I yell, throwing his ball in their direction.

There is a small tink sound as the WHITE ball hits one of the Vulpix square in the face like a baseball before it opens wide and sucks it inside. The Premier ball's button flashes red once, and I immediately grab Odin's ball, which was to my left, not my right, shrinking it and clipping it in place. The three remaining Vulpix are watching the ball intently, so I use the distraction to run in, grab the still shaking ball, and take off into the woods.

* * *

 **Present**

Of course, a moment later I had gotten an ember to the ass, and three Vulpix were now chasing me through the woods. The Premier ball stopped shaking, signaling a successful capture, which freed my hands as I was able to clip it to my belt. Now instead of getting repeatedly slapped in the face by branches, I could at least try to move them. I was doing my best to make sudden turns, but I knew the Vulpix was catching up to me from how close some of the **Embers** were getting to me. I glanced back and found them practically right on my heels.

" _Pix! Pix! Vul! Pix! Vulpix!_ " It was like a chant at this point, seemingly spelling my demise.

Of course, what little luck I had failed me right then, as I found no ground beneath my feet any longer, and turning back showed that I may well be about to die.

"Fuuuuuuuuuu!" I yelled as fell before I slammed into the surface of a river that I didn't remember being there.

I was thankfully only under for a few moments before I was able to kick my way to the surface and swim to the side. I caught my breath for a moment before I looked back towards the other side to see what I had just survived.

' _That could have been bad._ ' I think, looking at the drop.

While the fall had seemed to last forever, it could only have been a second or two as the drop was about 20 feet at best. However, at my current height, that was almost five times taller than I was. What it did do, though, was stop the Vulpix from catching me, as they were watching me solemnly from the top of the dirt wall. As I watched them, however, a lithe white figure slinked out of the forest, stopping at the edge next to its children. The Vulpix all yipped at it for a moment, before it looked down at me. A moment passes, before it turns, heading back into the forest, taking the three remaining Vuplix with it. I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding, before dragging myself out of the mud.

As it turns out, C-Gear is waterproof, of which I am quite thankful for. It only takes a moment to see that I'm closer to Celedon than I was before the chase, so I set out on my way back. I try not to think of the damage my ass took, or the bruising forming on my stomach, and instead push through to make it to the Pokemon Center as soon as I can.

* * *

 **Four hours later**

The trek back wasn't quite so easy, especially with the damage I had taken, but I made it back to Celedon before the sun could rise. After turning in my new Vulpix, and an explanation on what happened, I was directed down the road to the real hospital to get my own wounds treated. Apparently, Trainers get injured constantly, so the nurse there didn't even bat an eye when I explained what happened. After having the melted and charred pants cut off, I was treated and given a bed to sleep it all off.

* * *

I woke up just a few short hours later, already feeling much better. Thankfully a mild burn and some bruised ribs were easy to heal compared to broken ribs, so I knew I wasn't going to be here for long. While only five hours of sleep wasn't much, it was enough to get me up and out of here. After being checked over by the nurse once more, my stuff was returned to me, and I was rushed out of the hospital to make room for those more in need. Of which there were many, from what I could see as I left through the lobby. I am quite thankful that my mom had packed me several sets of pants and shorts, as my previous pair were ruined beyond repair.

As quick walk had me back at the Pokemon Center, where I collected my Pokemon. Vulpix was in perfect health and now registered to me, but was still in need of a name. I left the center, and wandered the town a bit, collecting a few more items that had been lost by others, to replace what I myself had lost to the raving horde or Vulpix. As I walked I considered my next options, before I finally found myself at one of the many parks that litter the city.

I place the ball holding Vulpix against my C-Gear, bringing up her information, and quickly type in the name I had just thought of. As a precautionary option, I release Odin and quickly explain what happened. He nods in understanding, so I click the button to release Vulpix into the grass. The red energy quickly forms into the small Vulpix, which looks around sheepishly, wide eyes blinking before it finally looks to me.

" _Vul?_ " It seems to ask.

"I caught you. Accidentally, but I caught you." I explain. "I would like to be friends so I can train you, and help you become strong."

The Vulpix looks at me for a moment before walking over to me and rubbing its cheeks on my leg. I reach down, and lightly pat its head, which she seems to like very much. A few moments after that, and I've picked her up and am holding her in my arms.

"Thank you, Vulpix," I say, giving more pets, before finally setting her down.

" _Nido!_ " Odin says, looking at me crossly.

"Right, sorry buddy. This is Odin, he was my first Pokemon." I explain.

" _Vul?_ " It asks.

I try to puzzle out what it said before it dawns on me. "Oh, his name?" I ask.

The Vulpix nods enthusiastically, so I explain, "That's just what I call him. He's a Nidoran."

" _Vulpix!_ " It exclaims, looking between us.

Thankfully I'm wising up, and immediately figure out what it wants.

"Yes, I have a name for you. I've decided to name you Kurama." I explain. "Kurama was a nine-tailed fox of legend where I come from. It's kinda cliche, but I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about foxes in general."

Vulpix seemed content with that, and after a quick introduction to Prophet, we moved to the real reason we'd stopped at this park. On the far side of the park was a small arena, in which several groups of people were battling. The kid who thrashed me before had mentioned I needed more experience and I couldn't agree more. I made my way over to the small arena, watching the battle currently taking place with rapt attention. Currently, a boy with two Rattata was fighting against another kid with a Pikachu. The Pikachu was level 11, while the two Rattata were level 5. The Pikachu was faster, able to hit both with its electrical attacks, which made it clear this battle would be over soon.

Of course, no sooner had I thought that when the kid had his Pikachu use **Swift** to knock one out, and a follow up **Quick Attack** to take down the other. After a quick exchange of money, the Pikachu kid used a potion on his Pokemon, before turning to survey the crowd.

"Anyone else wants a chance to take down Sparky?" He called out.

I looked around to see if anyone else was going to hop in, and when no one reacted I stepped forward myself.

"I'm willing to try," I announce.

"Ah, a new challenger!" He says, smile rather friendly. "Come on into the arena. Is this your first arena battle?"

I nod, moving to take my place on the other side.

"Alright, cool. So, first, we decide how we want to do this. I'm suggesting a 1v1 unless you have two weaker Pokemon you'd like to double up with. On top of that, no **Full Heal** during the battle." He offers.

"That's fine by me. I'll be using one Pokemon." I reply.

"Interesting. Alright, let's get this done. Go Sparky!" He announces, his Pikachu running from his side into the field.

"Odin, let's go!" I call out, tossing his Pokeball out.

He forms near the center of the Arena, looking around at the new location.

' _Come to think of it, it's probably mildly disorienting for Pokemon to pop in and out of locations like that._ ' I thought, before shaking the thought away.

"Open up with **Poison Sting!** " I called out, sending Odin into motion.

He jumps forward, horn glinting in the bright sunlight, but misses at the last second as the Pikachu hops out of the way. A burst of electricity slams into Odin, but doesn't chip away too much of his HP. A quickly ordered **Double Kick** and Odin manages to make his first contact of the battle, both hits knocking a good 10th of the mouse Pokemons HP away.

"Quick Attack Sparky!" The other kid orders.

Odin tries to dodge but the mouse is too fast, slamming it's little head into Odin's side, knocking him to the ground. Odin gets back to his feet and gives off a slight glow showing he is using **Focus Energy** all on his own.

" **Double Kick**!" I order again, Odin quickly following suit.

The first kick lands, taking a huge chunk of HP away, the second knocking the Pikachu down to less than thirty percent.

 **Critical Hit!**

"Stop!" The other kid calls out, halting the battle. "I forfeit. That last hit did a lot of damage."

A few of the onlookers applaud as he makes his way over to me, and collects my Trainer ID, transferring a whopping $2000 to me.

"I thought it was only 5% of the total for a sanctioned loss?" I ask, confused by the amount.

"5% is correct. I caught a shiny Voltorb of all things a few months back, and it sold well in the market. I'm running a bit low now, but I've got enough for what I need." He explained. "I'm jake by the way. Your Nidoran is strong. He's probably going to evolve soon."

"Thanks! I'm Billy. Yeah, he's getting strong now. Probably another week or two of training…" I say, closing my C-Gear.

"You'll want to get your first badge before that happens. Some Pokemon that get too strong too quickly will lose faith in their trainer if he or she isn't making progress." Jake says. "Well, I'm off to the center. Thanks for the battle!"

I nod as he runs off, before turning back to the crowd of people.

"So...anyone up for a battle?"

* * *

A/N: Third story updated in two weeks? Why yes, yes it is! I'm not saying other authors need to get on my level, but, get on my level! I'm kidding. I go months without updates sometimes. No post shaming!

If you're not paying attention, Dragonball: RPG X has been posted! I am now writing three stories concurrently. Nothing is to be abandoned, nothing should slow down too terribly. This should let me fight writer's block by switching between them, never feeling like I'm oversaturated in one universe.

Review! Join the discord! Buy a T-shirt!(I still don't actually have T-Shirts).

Billy is making some progress but is also held back by a lack of experience. Can he move forward, and prove to himself that he can belong? Or will he fail and end up in Rancher school? Only one way to find out!

Until next time, this is Klldarkness, and this is Pokemon: Nuzlocke!


	6. Chapter 6

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

* * *

Chapter 6: A new event, a new challenge!

* * *

Two days of battles in the park had padded my bank account and added a lot of experience to my Pokemon. On top of that, I felt much more comfortable with battles against people. As much as my loss outside of the gym had stung, I couldn't help but feel that his advice had made me a better trainer. With that in mind, I planned to battle some more today to get Odin to the next level, and perhaps push Prophet up one as well. Thankfully the experience system seemed just like the game, as far as I was concerned at least. Everyone else kept giving me weird looks when I'd start the battle with Kurama out, and immediately return her to send out Odin or Prophet instead. Either way, she had leveled once, and would probably do so again today.

I made it to the park, stifling a yawn as it was still early morning. The sun was just barely rising this early in the day, but already a group of trainers was out here battling. The parks in Celedon seemed to be placed in such a way that no houses were close enough to be bothered by the noise, which definitely helped when a crowd was cheering you to victory. I stood off to the side, checking the Poke-News, and glancing up at the battle every now and then. After a rather spunky Rattata duo took down a Pidgey and Pikachu, the field cleared to make room for anyone else interested. I stepped over, pulling Odin's ball from my belt, and looked around to see if there were any takers.

A girl pushed from the small crowd to stand on the other side. I felt like I recognized her, possibly from seeing her battle a few days before. Either way, the battle was on!

"Go, Odin!" I called out, tossing out his ball.

Odin exploded from the Pokeball, landing on all fours to face his new opponent. The girl hesitated for a moment, before tossing her own to the field.

"Go Pig!" She calls out.

From the explosion of red light, I hear the flapping of wings, a large bird Pokemon forming from the light. A Pidgeotto lands in the grass, eyeing Odin closely.

" **Pig" Pidgeotto**

 **Lvl 18**

 **HP - 17 - 32 - 51**

 **ATK - ? - ? - ?**

 **DEF - ? - ? - ?**

 **SATK - ? - ? - ?**

 **SDEF - ? - ? - ?**

 **SPD - ? - ? - ?**

' _Shit…_ ' I think, seeing its level. _'18 is a bit high…_ '

" **Double Kick** Odin!" I call out, starting the battle.

Odin runs in, his little feet tearing up the grass as he pushes forward to attack.

" **Sand Attack**!" The girl calls.

The Pidgeotto jumps back, flapping its wings hard, kicking up a cloud of dust. It envelopes Odin, and then me as well.

" _Cough!_ **Poison Sting**!" I wheeze out, covering my mouth and nose.

I can see the Pidgeottos HP bar drop, but it doesn't turn purple. The girl calls out a quick attack, which knocks Odin's HP down to nearly half. My streak of bad luck continues, **Odin's Poison Point** ability failing to activate. Another hit like that and he would definitely be knocked out.

"Return Odin! Go Prophet!" I yell, switching them out.

The sand cloud has cleared, giving Prophet a clear field of view.

" **Fury Attack**!" I call out.

Prophet jumps forward, rapid-fire pecking at the Pidgeotto. Three out of five hits, dealing about 15% of its HP. It retaliates with a swipe of its wing, knocking Prophet back. He gets up, stomping its feet in anger.

"Shit...He's raging." I say, shaking my head.

One issue I've been having with him is that when he gets hurt, he almost always uses **Rage** to follow up. While he does a lot of damage, it makes him impossible to handle. I have to return him and take him to the center each time. The Pidgeotto seems to almost laugh at Prophet.

"Get it Prophet!" I yell, egging him on.

He takes off at a run, steam practically pouring off of it from its rage.

"Dodge Pig!" The girl yells, seemingly worried.

The Pidgeotto takes off, but Prophet jumps to intercept, a passable drop kick slamming into the Pidgeotto, knocking it back to the ground. Prophet's two heads scream in unison, before it once again jumps into the air, slamming down onto the Pidgeottos back.

"R-return!" My opponent yells, the red light absorbing the Pidgeotto.

 **Battle Over!**

 **Odin - Lvl 13 +212EXP *LEVEL UP!***

 **Prophet - Lvl 14 +214EXP**

I pause, wondering if the alert signifies that she plans to not send another Pokemon out, before shrugging. I return Prophet, making my way over to the girl to collect my prize.

"Hey, thanks for the batt-" I start before she interrupts me.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She yells, practically in my face. "You need to get control of your Doduo before it hurts someone's Pokemon badly!"

"W-what? He didn't hurt your Pokemon all that much. It wasn't even knocked out when you returned it!" I yelled back in surprise.

"Just-Just control your bird!" She yelled, before storming off.

I stared after her in silence for a moment, wondering what the hell just happened.

"She just played you, man." I hear from behind me.

I look back to see another one of the kids that battle here often. "What do you mean?"

"She freaks out when she loses to throw her opponents off guard. Think about it for a moment." He replies, eyes widening, eyebrows going up.

"...I didn't get my prize money." I reply lamely.

"You didn't get your prize money, no." He says.

"Well shit! That's low of her. I felt guilty and everything." I say, shaking my head.

"Don't let it get to you. Some people are weird about their Pokemon, and won't let even the slightest damage happen to them. Freaks them out." He explains. "Generally though, trainers that battle eventually learn that their Pokemon are stronger than we'll ever be."

I nod, considering what he's said. "I get you...Well, thanks for the heads up. I'd have probably spent all day worried about it."

"No worries man!" He says, waving as he walks back to his friends.

I consider watching a few of the battles, but since Prophet had raged, I needed to get him healed at the center. Potions wouldn't calm him down, even if it would help Odin. A few streets over was one of the smaller centers that were only for healing, as opposed to the large ones that were more community center than anything. I popped in and turned in my Pokemon, plopping down on one of the chairs to wait my turn at the healing machine. Thankfully there were only a few people ahead of me, and the few minutes wait passed quickly.

After collecting Odin and Prophet, clipping their Pokeballs to my belt, I made my way back out into the city. I had a few different options open to me, either heading back to the woods for wild Pokemon, the parks for trainers, or maybe another run at the gym...Of course, as soon as I considered anything, the option was taken from me.

 **Event Notice!**

 **Trouble In Celedon!**

 _Someone is up to no good! Find them, and stop them!_

I pause, the person walking behind me nearly colliding with me at the last second as I read the event. Pulling up my map, I see a blinking indicator a few streets over, so I start heading in that direction. A quick jog down the road, and passing through a horrible smelling alley, I find myself on a road I hadn't seen before. Warehouses and random buildings line both sides, giving the area a very lonely feeling. I make my way slowly down the street, glancing between the buildings as I go. The indicator doesn't point in a specific place, just the local area. As I'm making my way closer to the end of the street, I spot a shrunken Pokeball slowly rolling across the alley.

I move cautiously over to it, looking around me to see where it came from. No one is around, no indicators for trainers or Pokemon, so I bend down and pick it up. The center button isn't depressed, so there is definitely a Pokemon in the ball. I press it to my C-Gear, and an information box pops up.

* * *

"Turn around, keep your hands where I can see them."

I slowly turned around, surprised to find a rough-looking man blocking the side of the alley I had entered on. I take a half step back, which angers him.

"Don't move!" He yells, motioning with his hand.

It's at this moment that I register the gun in his hand, pointed right at me.

"You're going to hand me your Pokemon, and the ball you picked up. Got me?" He asks quietly. "Follow the orders, and you get to walk out of here."

I nod, my mind racing. I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't quite as scared as I felt I should be. This _was_ a game after all. While being injured sucked, if I died, I'd just wake up at the start screen again. That being said, this piece of shit thought he could just rob me. Who robs children?! My hands were at about chest high, one holding my C-Gear, the other holding the found Pokeball. I took a step closer to him, holding out the Pokeball for him to collect, letting my hand shake in the process. As he reached for it, the gun still trained on me, I dropped it, throwing caution to the wind.

His reactions were shit, almost a whole second passing before he snaps his hand down to catch it. His eyes follow it, the C-Gear dropping from my other hand as I snatch Odin's ball from my waist.

" **Poison Sting**!" I yelled, clicking the button to release him while stumbling back.

I was worried that Odin may hesitate, but apparently, he's got my back. The man hesitates between keeping the gun on me or switching to Odin, and that second cost him. Odin's little horn slams into the man's midsection, goring him. Odin may not be that large, but his horn was still sharp, and it ripping into the man's stomach, injuring him badly, was a horrible sight to see.

 ***BANG***

There was an explosion of noise, leaving nothing but a ringing in my ears. The man hits the ground, Odin still on top of him. I don't feel any pain, but it's a life or death situation, and I can't afford to hold back. Odin has started kicking at the man as he tries to bring his gun to bear. I run forward, throwing myself on to both of them, my hands wrapping around the man's wrist to keep it pointed anywhere but at us.

 ***BANG***

I felt it more than heard it, my hearing still nothing but loud ringing. I try and get my feet on the ground to give me leverage but the ground is slick. The man is strong, but I'm somehow pushing his arm away. He stops pushing at Odin, trying to get his other hand to the gun to push back. I can't push against both hands, and the gun is nearly pointed right at me. I shove hard, buying myself a moment, and grab the next ball on my belt and toss it away.

The alley is lit with red light as I yell for help. There is a flurry of motion behind me.

 ***BANG***

My whole body jerks back like I was kicked in the chest by a horse. I'm screaming but I can't hear a thing. Prophet lands next to me, my fingers digging grooves into the man's wrists as I hold on for dear life. Odin's HP bar is flashing red, dropping almost instantly.

 **PECK**

 **PECK**

 **PECK**

* * *

 **Celedon Police Station**

I'm still shaking from the events of the past two hours, my shirt crusting with the blood that coats it. Every movement a little more cracks and falls off, earning me dirty looks from the woman tasked with watching over me. I'd been here for over an hour, after calling for help from the Pokemon Rangers once the man had...stopped moving. Once they had arrived they whisked me away, locking down that area. They took my Pokemon from me, and after sitting me down in this seat, went off to investigate. I considered calling my mom but felt it was best to just wait and see what happens next. There was a soft knock at the door to the room, and a tall man enters.

"Billy?" He asks and continues after I nod. "I'm Detective Whitaker. We just finished our preliminary investigation, and received a confirmation on who that man was."

I look up, finally meeting the man's eyes.

"His name isn't important, but what he was, is. He was wanted in Johto and Kanto for questioning in at least three separate murders. We have a team out in the warehouses investigating another crime scene that we believe was his as well." He explains, leaning slightly against the wall. "I'm telling you this so you understand that the situation you found yourself in was _life or death_ and that you had no choice but to do what you did."

I nod, processing everything he's saying.

"With that being said, you're free to go. Your Vulpix and Doduo are at the front desk. Your Nidoran is still at the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy tells me it will be at least a day or two before he's healed. Getting shot isn't easily healed." He explains. "Do you need anything? Do you need to see anyone? Do you need us to call your mom?"

I shake my head, simply standing and being escorted to the front desk. I sign my name, and receive my stuff back, before turning and walking out the door. My thoughts are flying by at a million miles an hour, trying to block out the memory of what has happened. His face...what was left of it...I shake my head to force the thought away, setting a course for the large Pokemon Center. The doors slide open allowing me in, the place quieting down at the sight of me.

"B-billy?" Nurse joy asks, as I simply walk past everyone.

I travel down the hallway, down the flight of stairs, and swipe in at the first door showing no one had claimed it yet. The door locks behind me, and I'm already pulling the blood crusted shirt and pants off, balling them in my hands. I empty the pockets methodically, before throwing them into the shower. I grab the third ball, bright white, from my belt, and let Kurama out into the room with me.

"I need you to burn those for me. **Ember**." I order.

Kurama looks up at me, a questioning look, but whatever question she has I ignore. She studied me for a moment longer before letting out a small puff of fire, the clothes being engulfed almost immediately. I waited a few moments, watching them burn to ash, before turning on the showerhead, allowing the water to put out what is left of the flame, washing the ash down the drain. I climb in, the water warming me.

' _I didn't realize I was so cold…_ ' I think before I simply sit on the floor of the shower.

" _Vul?_ " Kurama asks, watching me from outside the shower.

I don't answer, just grabbing the soap and scrubbing away the blood. My blood...Odin's blood...his blood...I can only be thankful that I made it to the shower before the tears began to fall.

* * *

A/N: Friendly reminder that the world of Pokemon isn't all sunshine and daisies. Guns _are_ technically canon…

Billy has suffered another tragedy, this one leaving a man dead. In a fight for life or death, can he really be to blame? Or will he only continue to blame himself? Odin is injured once more, and Billy's psyche isn't doing itself any favors. Will he find the will to go on? Find out next time...on Pokemon: Nuzlocke!


	7. Chapter 7

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

 **Chapter 7: A surprise after all...**

* * *

I woke up shivering, barely able to stumble to the bathroom in time before what little was in my stomach made another appearance. After cleaning up, and washing my mouth out, I had to admit that I felt a good bit better. I moved back into the little suite and started going through my clothes. I had learned my lesson from the last tragedy that had befallen me. I couldn't let this get me down. I had to keep moving forward.

' _Keep moving forward._ ' I thought as I shoved everything back into my bag.

I put on fresh clothes and strapped my belt back on. Odin's spot was glaringly empty, but I would be visiting him at the center today. Prophet and Kurama were still stashed away in their respective balls, clipped into their slots on the belt. The other three spots were also empty, and I assumed they had been removed during the check over by the police. I dug through my bag and pulled out three shrunken balls, and started clipping them to my belt. As I went to clip the final one in place, I noticed something off about it.

' _The button isn't depressed...there is a Pokemon…_ ' I thought, studying the ball.

I pulled out my C-gear and pressed the ball against the indention, pulling up its information. I grimaced, realizing it was as I thought.

"This is the Pokeball from the alley. The one that was used to trap me…" I thought out loud.

Contained within was a level 21 Shedinja, owned by someone named Mikey. It was nicknamed "Mask", which from what I remember of Shedinja, was kinda morbid. I assumed that the police had simply picked it up from the ground, and placed it with my stuff, assuming it was mine. I clipped it to my belt, deciding the best course of action was to visit the station again and return it later in the day. After another check to make sure I wasn't leaving anything, I hit the lights and walked out, the door closing behind me.

I was moving up the stairs when I felt vibrations against my leg. Pulling out my C-Gear, I see that my mom is calling. I consider answering but decide against it. As much as talking to someone else would be nice, I was a man on a mission. I swiftly walked from the Center, no one paying any attention to me, and quickly made it down the street. I paused, wondering which place I should head first when I realized I was holding myself back again.

' _Get ahold of yourself Billy._ ' I thought, as I turned down the main strip.

* * *

It was a short walk to the police station, and after explaining to the front desk person why I was there, it was a few short minutes before the detective I spoke with the night before was ushering me into a room.

"Billy? How are you doing kid?" He asked after we sat down.

I shrugged, before pulling the Shedinja Pokeball off my belt. "This isn't mine. It belongs to someone named Mikey. I think it was the Pokeball the robber tricked me with."

A frown marred the Detective's face, taking the ball from me. He placed it against his own C-Gear, before popping it off again.

" _Shit_ …" I heard him whisper.

He clicked the balls button, and with a flash of red light, the Shedinja was floating in the room with us. He studied it for a moment, before speaking.

"Mask? I'm sorry to tell you this, but your owner Mikey has died…" The Detective said, shaking his head sadly.

The Shedinja floated there, unmoving. Its shell-like body didn't move an inch, unbreathing. It was a freaky sight, to say the least.

"This is Billy, and if he is willing, I'd like for you to go with him." The Detective continued.

"What?" I asked, startled.

"Mikey didn't have a next of kin. An orphan, actually. Shedinja was his only Pokemon, as well. Locking her away into evidence, never to be released again would be a tragedy, but she is too powerful to be released into the wild. She needs a trainer…" Whitaker explained.

I nod shortly, before looking at the Shedinja. "Would you like to join me, Mask?" I ask.

For a moment I don't expect anything from the Shedinja, before it floats slowly over to me, to float beside me.

"I guess that's a yes…" I tell Whitaker.

He nods, before returning the Pokemon, and then attaching it to his device. Within a few moments, my own C-Gear popped up, asking if I would accept the trade. With the acceptance, the Pokemon was now mine.

"What are you plans now kid?" Whitaker asked as he stood up.

"I don't know..." I reply.

"Take a few days to yourself, kid. What you went through, at your age?..Take a few days. Let your Nidoran heal, maybe leave town for a bit. The gym will be here when you come back." Whitaker says, leading me out.

I agree with that notion, as I walk back to the Pokemon Center. I speak with Nurse Joy, and find out that Odin will likely be better tomorrow. I had slept most of the day away, and it would only be a few hours before nightfall anyway. I pack what little I had taken out of my bag, and watch a bit of TV before finally being tired enough to fall asleep, not hearing the sound of a Pokemon releasing…

* * *

 _ **% &! $!##&%$(!**_

I startled at the feeling of a hand on my shoulder, jerking my attention away from the window, where the rain continued to pour down. "What?" I ask, surprised.

"What were you doing just now?" Alex asks, flopping down on the chair next to me.

"Watching the rain, that's all," I reply. "I can't believe it's still raining this hard."

A flash of lightning illuminates the packed center as the lights above flicker slightly.

"I asked Nurse Joy earlier, and she said that they get storms like these every few years. Islands and all that." Alex explained, pulling out her dex. "It'll likely be another few days before the ferry will be able to get to us."

I nod, looking out at the waves of the ocean slamming against the sea wall. It had been nearly a week already, millions of gallons of water pouring down from the sky. A never-ending thunderstorm. Overall, my time at Cinnabar had so far been disappointing. An easy win at the Fire Gym, and then a storm that had soaked through everything. Another clap of thunder, this time hard enough to shake the entire island.

 **EVENT NOTICE!**

 **Heart Of The Storm!**

 _There is something up there...something...powerful._

I blinked, staring at the alert. I glanced once more at the storm, back at the alert.

"Oh...my god," I whispered, standing up.

"Billy? What is it?" Alex asks, startled.

I grab my backpack, and make for the door, pushing them open and running out into the storm. I'm instantly soaked through, freezing to the bone, as the sky high above is lit with an innumerable amount of lightning.

"Billy!" I hear a yell from behind me. "Billy come back!"

A hand grabs me roughly by the arm, pulling me from where I was staring intently into the sky.

"Billy, what the fuck? What are you doing?!" Alex exclaims, soaked to the bone as well.

I look back up and point. "Right there...look," I reply calmly, even though my heart is pounding in my chest.

She follows my finger, wiping the water from her eyes, trying to see what has grabbed my attention. A few seconds later she gasps, taking a step back. "W-what _IS_ that?" She exclaims.

"...A Zapdos." I reply, watching the sky fill once more with lightning.

"What?! A Zapdos? Those aren't real!" She says, looking back into the sky.

I reach down to my belt, unclipping an ultra ball.

"Billy?" She asks, grabbing my arm again. "What are you doing?"

I shake her arm off, before releasing the only Pokemon I have that will be of help here. As the light clears, standing just a half foot shorter than me is my Alakazam, Houdini.

"You're going to need to carry us both up there...can you sense it, Houdini?" I ask.

' _Yes…_ ' I hear in my mind. ' _It is...powerful._ '

"If it hits you, it will likely kill you. Don't let that happen." I reply, as I suddenly feel weightless, Houdini and I lifting into the air.

"Billlllyyy!" I hear from below, but I don't look back.

I had learned years ago that looking back only causes regret. Move forward, don't give up.

' _Don't give up._ ' I hear in my head.

With a jolt, we launch upwards, heading right into the heart of the storm...and with an explosion of light, we're above the clouds, floating in the bright sunlight of day. Far below, black clouds, filled with the energy of a god...There is a loud screech, loud enough that my bones vibrate, as my foe breaks through the clouds below.

' _It's so beautiful…"_ I think, watching it fly upwards.

The yellow and black plumage sparks and flickers with the energy contained within.

' _ **Future Sight**_ _, and_ _ **Protect**_ _._ ' I think, feeling the shift in the air as Houdini follows my unsaid orders.

Almost perfectly timed, as the bright orb of energy forms around Houdini, a flash of **Thunder** crashes into it, shattering it.

' _ **Disable**_.' I think as we swing wide to the side.

I can't tell if it stuck or not, but it doesn't matter anyway.

' _ **Psybeam**_.' I order, a bright pink beam of energy slamming into the oncoming Zapdos.

' _Again…_ ' I think as Houdini repeats.

' _Drop us!_ ' I order, and we're falling, the Zapdos nearly stabbing us through with **Drill Peck**.

Houdini catches us again, and we're blasting higher into the air, away from the Zapdos.

' _ **Protect!**_ _'_ I scream, as another flash of **Thunder** heads our way.

Houdini barely gets it up before the crash of the lightning bolt smashes it away. The Zapdos is slapped out of the air by the previously set **Future Sight** and sent tumbling.

' _ **Psychic!**_ ' I order, as the air distorts around us, the attack hitting the falling Zapdos.

We fly after it, breaking into the storm below. A dumb idea, but keeping up the pressure is more important. As we manage to break through, an unseen flash of **Lightning Bolt** slams into Houdini, knocking us both out of the sky.

"Houdini!" I yelled, watching him tumble far below.

His HP is near the red after the single hit, and we're falling toward the ground below. I stretch, pointing straight down, falling faster to catch up. I manage to get close enough for the energy of the Ultra Ball to snag him up, returning him to safety. I grab a second ball from my waist, releasing the energy below me.

"Catch me!" I yell as I fly past my Fearow, Terror, at breakneck speeds.

With a loud swoop of his wings, he dives, catching up to me as we fall faster and faster. I manage to grab ahold, pulling myself onto his back, as he pulls back up.

"Up into the storm!" I yell. "Don't get hit, you're weak to electricity. This is the last chance!"

With several hard flaps of his wings, we're there, buried with the cloud. I point in the direction of the Zapdos, his information bar burning bright against the dark cloud.

"Get me above him!" I yell over the howling storm.

We move higher, and higher again, till we're several stories higher than it is. It's HP is barely above halfway, and I curse as it moves up to 80%, **Roost** being the bane of my existence.

I stare down, as it finally catches sight of us. My hand reaches down, grabbing a normal Pokeball from my waist.

"Catch me Fearow," I yell, before jumping off his back into the air, a thousand feet above the ocean.

We were falling, faster and faster. A press of a button, a flash of red, and Odin was falling beside me. The Nidoking focused on our foe, ready to die for me if needed. But that wasn't what I needed today.

" **Body Slam!** ' I yelled, before flattening out, the wind catching me, Odin flying forward.

With a loud crash, Odin slammed into the beast, holding on to it despite multiple blasts of electricity. They disappeared into the clouds below, and shortly after, so did I. As we broke through below, Terror was beside, catching me again, as we are sent nearly tumbling from the wind of the storm. There is a loud KERFLUMP below, and I see Odin and Zapdos disappear beneath the ocean surface. Terror dives down, faster and faster, till he pulls up, just barely skimming the surface.

"There!" I yell over the storm, pointing at a dark shape moving beneath the surface.

With a roar, Odin surfaces, just barely able to keep his head above water. With a mighty pull, he lifts the Zapdos above his head, as he sinks back down. The readied Ultra Ball slams into the knocked out Pokemons side, and with a flash of red, he was inside.

1…

2…

3…

BING

* * *

With a gasp of fetid air, I pull the Pokemon off of my face, retching, throwing up foam and acid from my empty stomach. I look around the room wildly, the floating Shedinja sitting in mid-air watching me.

"T-the fuck was that?" I gasp out, my throat on fire.

The Shedinja just floats there, as though it hadn't just been on my face...worn like a mask…

"Return…" I whisper, returning it to the Pokeball, wondering how it got out in the first place.

My heart is pounding, but slowly calming down.

"W-was that the future?" I ask aloud, but no answer is forthcoming.

* * *

A/N: Yes, that is kinda freaky, isn't it?


	8. Chapter 8

**Pokemon: Nuzlocke**

 _A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!_

* * *

Chapter 8: Revelations

* * *

"Shedinja's hard body doesn't move, not even a twitch. In fact, its body appears to be merely a hollow shell." I read aloud, studying the Pokedex entry. "It seems to appear unsought in a Poké Ball after a Nincada evolves. This bizarre Pokémon is entirely immobile—it doesn't even breathe. It is believed that this Pokémon will steal the spirit of anyone peering into its hollow body from its back."

I look at the Pokeball as it sits on the bed, a sense of unease filtering through my body. What I saw last night...It was freaky. I couldn't say it was anything less than a vision of the future, as it included the _Game_ aspects of my life. That couldn't be faked as only I was aware of it. It was barely even 4 am, so I had several hours before I could collect Odin, and leave Celedon. I wanted nothing more than to leave this town behind and see what the rest of the world had to offer. Yet, here I was, puzzling over the mystery that was Mask, and the vision.

 **Quest Alert!**

 _Discover the secret behind Mask._

Rewards:

 **$)(*#$_^ & **

**1600Exp**

I glanced at the alert before rolling my eyes. Of course, the game would push me in that direction. I snatched the Pokeball up, and pressed the button, letting Mask out into the room. He floated there, hovering motionless over the bed, not even looking at me.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, Mask. Floating up and down is yes, side to side is no. If you do not answer me, I will return you to your ball, drop you in a PC, and never take you out again. Am I understood?" I asked, putting as much space between myself and the Pokemon.

It continues floating there, before slowly moving up and down.

"Good. First, was that the future?" I ask, getting right to the important question.

It is still for a moment, before slowly floating in a circle. I stare at it in confusion, before the realization hits me.

"Is that a maybe?" I ask.

It stops moving, before switching to a soft up and down.

I nod as well, before continuing. "Are you able to see the future? Or only those that...look inside you?"

No movement again, before a swift yes, and no. There was a multitude of ways to take that answer. I frowned, considering how to ask more questions when all I could get is yes, no, and maybe.

"Ugh. Getting answers from you like this is impossible." I say, frowning deeper.

I reach for the ball when Shedinja rotates slightly, it's back facing me. It seems to wiggle slightly, and I can tell immediately what it's offering.

' _Answers._ ' I think, considering the options.

A moment passes while I mull the idea before I take two steps forward to the edge of the bed. I reach out, grasping the cold, hard exoskeleton, slowly pulling it towards my face.

Darkness

* * *

 _ **% &! $!##&%$(!**_

I open my eyes to pure darkness. I can see my body, my hands, somehow perfectly lit. The world around me was darkness in all directions. Every now and then loud thunk echos out, like metal on metal clamping together.

"Hello?" I say out loud, my voice echoing.

 _Billy_

The world was both loud, yet silent. No direction, just a whisper of a word that existed, but nothing more.

"Mask?" I ask.

 _Yes_

"What is this? Where am I?" I ask, looking all around me.

 _No answer_

"What? That-" I start.

 _Time_

I frown, considering what that means. To be fair, it doesn't, but I don't know that any answer would.

"I...Just tell me what's going on." I order in the end.

Silence is my response, nothing else but the rhythmic thump every few seconds. A few minutes pass, and right as I prepare to speak again, the world is flooded with light. I'm inside a small home, in the bedroom of a child no older than I currently was. I know this because he's sleeping in the bed, no more than a few feet away from me.

"Oh shit!" I say, before clamping my hand over my mouth.

 _They can't hear you_

I look around, startled, to find Mask floating over my shoulder.

"What are we doing here? Where are we?" I ask.

 _Where doesn't matter_

"Where doesn't matter?.." I reply, considering the sentence. "When are we then?"

The energy of the room changes slightly, soft happiness almost filling the room. Mask was clearly happy that I had asked the right question. The bedroom door slides open, showing a pretty young woman standing there, holding a large bag.

"Mikey honey?" She says, approaching the bed. "It's time to wake up."

It takes a few moments for the kid to stir, but is eventually sitting up in his bed. I glance at the Shedinja, watching it as it floats across the room to Mikey, hovering over him. The mom and kid are talking, but I'm barely even paying attention until a single word grabs my attention.

"An egg?" Mikey exclaims. "Really mom?!"

 _When_

"That's right! I found it outside a few weeks ago. It's going to hatch soon, which is really good timing as it's your birthday. Whatever is inside can be your first Pokemon." The mom replies, before pulling a slightly cracked egg from the bag she had been carrying.

 _Today is my hatching day_

As we watch, the egg shakes, the cracking noises getting louder, before the shell finally breaks open. A small Nincada sits within the egg, crawling slightly out. It's looking right at Mikey and making the cutest little chittery noise.

"Nin!"

 _It was fate that we were born on the same day_

The kid is freaking out, excited as all young boys seem to be over bugs. His mom has to remind him not to squeeze it too hard as he hugs it, but even to me, it's clear he loves the Nincada already.

 _He did_

 _I did_

The scene around us morphs, showing a highlight reel. Battles, training, traveling. The vision is bleeding happiness, contentment.

 _We went everywhere_

The vision slows down, stopping on a familiar scene. A battle, Mikey a year or so older than when I first saw him. Nincada is defeating some kids' collection of Caterpie and Weedle. As the battle ends, Nincada begins to glow. The vision flickers, the emotions fading away, leaving…

 _Sadness_

As the Ninjask breaks free of its exoskeleton, the shell begins to move. It floats into the air, moving side to side as it studies the scene.

 _INTERLOPER_

 _RAGE_

 _ANGER_

 _FEAR_

 _SADNESS_

The words seem to echo throughout the clearing, as Mikey happily hugs the Ninjask. It takes a few more moments of celebration before Mikey notices the Shedinja. What I didn't expect was for the kid to recoil in fear and disgust.

"Gross...what the fuck?" He says, before pulling out a C-Gear and scanning the Shedinja.

 _Abandoned_

Mikey returned the Ninjask, and ran off, leaving the Shedinja floating there in the clearing.

 _Alone_

The Shedinja followed as best it could, but it was slow. Much slower than a young kid running, much slower than fear. What took Mikey an hour took Mask nearly half the day, ending up at the local Pokemon Center. Mask, being a Ghost Type, was easily able to float through the wall, and check each room for Mikey. Mikey was asleep in the center's bed, snoring softly, the Ninjasks Pokeball clutched in his hand.

 _Fear_

The energy in the room changes. It's subtle, but I can feel it. It felt different, as though something was coming.

 _The first_

Mask seemed to glow slightly, as it rotated, and descended over Mikey's face. His body jerked straight, all the muscles of his body locking in place, shaking and twitching. The world shifts around us once more, showing Mikey's bedroom in his hometown. The lamp within the room seems to flicker on, before sparking. The sparks land on a curtain, which swiftly catches fire.

 _I tried_

The flames quickly spread, burning the house to the ground. The screams of his mother...It was intense. The vision seemed to shake, before fading away, and we were back in the Pokemon Center with Mikey. He yanked the Pokemon off of his face, retching, throwing up everything he had recently eaten. The look in his eyes was wild, terrible even, as he gripped the Ninjasks Pokeball in his hand. It takes a moment for him to react fully, but when he does he releases the Ninjask and orders it to attack.

' _Not effective._ ' I thought, watching the Ninjask attack, and fail to damage the Shedinja.

It seems that after realizing the attacks were useless, he got ahold of himself. Grabbing his Pokeball, he returned the Shedinja, and everything went black.

"What happened next?" I asked into the darkness.

 _Watch_

The world shifted again, and we found ourselves watching Mikey sob on a Center's bed.

"Y-you!" He screamed, turning on the floating Shedinja. "You did this!"

 _I tried_

As I watched, Mikey blamed Shedinja for his mother's death. He had dropped the Shedinja into storage, from which it couldn't escape to warn him again. Several months passed, and what Shedinja saw had passed.

"That's not fair...You did try…" I say, watching the scene.

The Shedinja was returned once more, and the scene shifted again. This time Mikey was at a different location, talking to a tall man. The other man looked slightly familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I had seen them.

 _Agony_

"I just don't want it anymore," Mikey said to the man.

A few seconds later, and the man was on his way, whistling merrily. The scene shifted again, showing the Shedinja trying to leave, but being returned and forced back time and time again.

"Stop trying to leave you fucking asshole! I own you now, not the kid, get it?" The guy roared, throwing something to the ground. An empty beer bottle.

 _Hate_

 _I could feel it building_

The scene shifted again, showing the man sleeping in bed, Shedinja floating nearby. The energy in the room was building once more.

 _Stop_

But it was clear that whatever afflicted this Shedinja wasn't under its control. It slowly rotated, before drifting down on to the man's face. His body jerked and twitched, before going ramrod straight. The world spun until it showed a small cafe. The sleeping man was sitting at a table, eating a small salad, listening intently at a conversation at a nearby table.

" _I can...three shipments._ " We heard.

" _More!...I've got needs too._ " The other replied.

"I fucking knew it…" The man whispered, watching them intently. "Fucking drug runners...the same wife..."

We watched as the two people paid and left, the man swiftly following behind them. The scene goes dark as all three enter an alleyway ahead of us.

"What happened?" I ask.

 _He killed them_

I nod, having expected that. "So he saw the vision, thought of his revenge, and then tracked them down to allow it to happen?"

 _Yessss_

"Then what?"

The world shifts, showing the man in the middle of another drunken rage.

"Show me you fucking bug! Show me what happens next?!" He screamed, trying to grab the Shedinja.

He eventually manages, shoving his face into the cavity, collapsing to the floor, shaking and quaking, clearly in a seizure unlike the visions before. Eventually, he pulls the pokemon from his face, throwing up and coughing, whispering to himself.

"I fucking knew it….I fucking knew it!"

"What did he see?" I ask.

 _I don't know_

I scowl, looking at the Shedinja. "What happened next then?"

 _He kills again._

"This is the man that attacked me in the alleyway," I say, studying him closely.

He was younger, perhaps by a year, but much better put together. The stress and murders, perhaps the continued forced wearing of Mask, had degraded his health. He had looked wild, damaged, dangerous in the alleyway.

"How did this lead to me?" I ask, looking back at Mask.

 _Vision_

The scene changed, showing another real vision. In this one, the scene ends right before I entered the alley, the man setting Masks Pokeball down in such a way to distract me.

"Did you know he would die?" I asked as everything faded black once more.

 _Yes_

The word echoes with a deep finality, as though it had had a choice, but had made it anyway. I begin to ask another question, but the world shakes around me.

 _Later_

* * *

I collapse to my knees, the hard floor jarring. My body feels like its on fire, as my stomach boils with retched acid. I hold my head in my hands, each beat of my heart sending a pulse of pain through me. Mask floats silently above the bed, watching me as I suffer. I check my C-gear and see that nearly half an hour had passed within Mask. I crawl, just barely, on to the bed, collapsing as I grow weak. The last thing I see as I pass out is Shedinja floating silently above me.

* * *

A/N: More mysteries abound! Join the discord to discuss(Over 150 members), leave me a review! Thanks again, everyone. Discord gg/3Kc8pTF


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